Charibert rencontrant la bergère Théodegilde

This painting depicts Charibert, son of the Merovingian king Chlothar I, encountering the young shepherdess Theodegild near a fountain. According to tradition, the prince, lost while hunting, is struck by the beauty of the young woman of humble origin and decides to marry her. Exhibited at the 1819 Salon under the title “Landscape illuminated by the morning sun,” the work illustrates a romanticized vision of Merovingian history, highlighting a love story between a king and a simple shepherdess. It reflects the 19th-century perspective on the Middle Ages, blending history, legend, and idealization.