The artwork “St. Louis King of France with a Page” is a 16th-century oil on canvas by the artist El Greco, dated around 1590 and originating from Spain. Displayed within the esteemed halls of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, this Mannerist portrait from the Late Renaissance period measures approximately 117 by 95 centimeters. The painting captures the essence of regality and service, rendered in El Greco’s distinctive style.
In the artwork, we are presented with two figures, the focal one being St. Louis, who stands solemnly gazing outward. He is adorned in ornate armor indicative of his status, with a crimson cloak draped around his shoulders which adds a rich vibrancy to the scene. His countenance exhibits a sense of duty and authority, befitting a king. Atop his head sits a finely crafted crown, hinting at his sovereign domain. In one hand, he holds a scepter, reinforcing his position of power.
Beside St. Louis is a page, demonstrably of a lower rank, attentively assisting the king. The page bears a loyal and respectful expression, compounding the hierarchical dynamics at play within the composition. The contrast between the king’s regal bearing and the page’s subservient posture underscores the societal structures of the time. El Greco, famed for his characteristic elongation of figures and inventive use of color, employs these elements here to imbue the scene with a sense of elongated grace and heightened emotion, features typical of the Mannerism movement that sought to go beyond the balanced and harmonious compositions of the High Renaissance.
