Louis Jéhotte, King Leopold I (1790-1865), Plaster Bust Ca. 1834, Brussels.

The bust depicts Leopold I, King of the Belgians, dressed in a military uniform adorned with official decorations. The face is rendered with a neutral expression and a frontality characteristic of 19th-century monarchical portraits. The shoulders are broad, reinforced by epaulettes, and the overall presentation emphasizes the sovereign's dignity and stability. A lead seal bearing the name Jehotte is attached to the work. A similar example is held at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.

Biographical note on the artist :

Louis-Jéhotte (1803–1884) was a Belgian sculptor active in the 19th century. Trained at the Brussels Academy, he became a sought-after official portraitist, producing numerous representations of political and cultural figures of his time. His work is characterized by a restrained approach, focused on clarity of form and highlighting figures of authority. He participated in public statuary in Belgium and contributed to defining the monumental aesthetic of the young kingdom.

Biographical note on King Leopold II:

Leopold I (1790–1865), from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, became the first King of the Belgians in 1831. His reign accompanied the institutional consolidation of the new kingdom, the structuring of the administration, and the affirmation of Belgian neutrality in the European context. He played a decisive role in the political organization of the country and in establishing the foundations of the constitutional monarchy.

Bibliographical notes:

1. Lemaire, R. Belgian Sculpture in the 19th Century. Brussels, Éditions du Patrimoine, 1989. 2. Fierens, P. Belgian Sculptors. Brussels, Meddens, 1927. 3. Wauters, A. History of the Visual Arts in Belgium. Brussels, Bruylant, 1883. 4. Demoulin, M. Leopold I and the formation of modern Belgium. Louvain-la-Neuve, Presses universitaires, 2005.5. Catalogues of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, 19th century sculpture section.