This 1817 original engraved portrait after Carle Vernet, engraved by Jean-Pierre Jazet, depicts Charles Ferdinand, Duc de Berry (1778–1820), son of the future King Charles X of France and a prominent royal figure during the Bourbon Restoration. The work reflects the renewed interest in royal imagery following the fall of Napoleon and the restoration of the monarchy in France.
The composition presents the Duke mounted on a richly adorned horse, dressed in his military uniform as Colonel-General of the Chasseurs à Cheval and Lancers. Vernet, renowned for his equestrian and military subjects, conveys both aristocratic elegance and martial authority. The poised stance of the horse, combined with the dramatic sky and assembled troops in the background, situates the sitter firmly within the heroic tradition of official portraiture.
Carle Vernet’s original painting emphasizes movement, precision of uniform detail, and a refined sense of theatrical staging typical of early nineteenth-century French military art. Jazet’s engraving faithfully translates these qualities into print form, preserving subtle tonal contrasts while making the image accessible to a broader public — a common practice for disseminating political and dynastic imagery at the time.
Today, this engraving stands as an evocative document of the Bourbon Restoration period, illustrating both the artistic prestige of Vernet’s equestrian portraits and the political symbolism attached to royal military representation in post-Napoleonic France.
Engraving
Royalty - Military - France
Engraved by Jazet - Printed by Jouy
Good condition, some soiling and tears
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