Portrait of Achille Deban de Laborde

1817

Painted during the Bourbon restoration, this portrait depicts the son of a fallen Napoleonic hero during a time of anti-imperialism in France. Eight-year-old Achille wears a miniature version of the embroidered Hussar uniform his father, Baron Jean-Baptiste Deban de Laborde, would have worn. His father’s military awards, notably the ceremonial sword and Légion d’honneur hanging in the upper left, surround the young boy. Achille would ultimately rise to the rank of colonel in the French cavalry.

Medium	oil on canvas
Dimensions	68 1/16 × 48 1/2 × 4 in. (172.9 × 123.2 × 10.2 cm)
Object Number	2017.2
Acquisition	Acquired by the Clark, 2017
Status	On View