Head of King Clovis

In 1812 Gros was commissioned to decorate the central dome of the Panthéon with a program that celebrated four leading dynasties in France: Clovis, Charlemagne, Louis IX, and Napoleon. Through the realization of this commission, we can trace the vicissitudes of the decade. With the restoration of the Bourbon Monarchy in 1814, he began work on the frescoes, replacing Napoleon with Louis XVIII. When Napoleon returned for the 100 Days in 1815, the canvas was swapped but again removed following his loss at Waterloo.
The painting of Clovis I, king of the Franks (466-511) who expanded the Frankish Empire to include nearly all of what is modern-day France, paired him with his wife Clothilde (St. Clothilde; 475-545), who converted him--and the realm--to Catholicism. A sketch in oils of the subject is in the Petit Palais, Paris. The king's head, heavy with the crown and bowed down, is captured in this vivid ink study.