Archival and art-historical research by Catriona Seth, Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature, has led to the discovery of a historical mix-up: the most famous (and often reproduced) portrait of Marie Antoinette as a child, by Swiss artist Liotard, actually shows her older sister, Maria Carolina, wearing a newly-awarded order of chivalry.
As Professor Seth's research shows, the real picture of Marie Antoinette in the superb series of eleven portraits of members of the imperial family, commissioned by Maria Theresa in 1762, is the one formerly thought to show Maria Carolina. It depicts a charming small child holding a rose--a feature associated with Marie Antoinette in many later portraits of her.
The discovery has been welcomed by the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (MAH) in Geneva where the Liotard portraits are held. It has led to a collaboration with Senior Curator Dr Marie-Eve Celio who is now working with Professor Seth to organise an exhibition (scheduled to open in autumn 2026) which will showcase the research.
Catriona Seth says: "I have been spending a lot of time working on portraits of Marie Antoinette whilst carrying out research for a forthcoming book. I had a hunch that something was not quite right about the lovely Liotard portrait said to show her at age 7. I was delighted when perusing 18th-century texts and pictures in search of clues led to a series of discoveries. It is wonderful to know what the most famous woman of her time really looked like as a little girl!"
