Charles le Chauve et Richilde

This painting by Gillot Saint-Èvre, titled “Charles the Bald and Richilde,” depicts the Carolingian ruler together with Richilde of Provence. The composition shows three figures in a vegetal, medievalizing setting, in a scene marked by softness, elegance, and historical idealization. The image emphasizes the relationship between the characters, the refinement of the costumes, and the poetic atmosphere characteristic of the troubadour style. Painted in 1825, this small oil on canvas belongs to nineteenth-century French historicizing painting, attentive to the sentimental reconstruction of the monarchical past and to intimate episodes of dynastic history.