Height: 9.6cm (3.9in)
Patinated bronze. Miniature caricature figure of the Louis XVIII following his restoration to the French throne, on a plinth an integral inscribed ‘Louis XVIII / Le Desiré’.
Whilst far from popular Louis XVIII pursued a moderate policy during his reign in an attempt to reconcile the legacies of Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras with that of the Ancien Régime and bring prosperity back to France. Gout afflicted Louis is recognizable by his corpulence and the insignia of the ancient monarchical Order of the Holy Spirit. Censorship under Louis XVIII prohibited depictions of Napoleon and publicly declarations of allegiance of the First Empire. The unflattering figure of the restored king thus found a ready market among former soldiers of the Grande Armée.