THE REAL LOUIS XV—by Maurice Quentin De La Tour c. 1751
Louis XV died in 1774, and according to historical records from 1775, he had a Swarthy skin complexion...
“Lewis XV was the handsomest youth in France, he had a swarthy complexion”
SOURCE;
(J. Dodsley, "The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the Year 1774"; 1775)
The word Swarthy or Swart derives from ‘Schwarz’ or ‘Schwartz’ which means “to be black; black man, and negro
SOURCE;
(Flügel-Schmidt-Tanger, a Dictionary of the English and German Languages for Home and School; 1905)
COMPLEXION = the natural color, texture, and appearance of a person's SKIN especially of the face.
These portraits of Louis XV are now titled: “Portrait of a young negro" and “Portrait of a Negro Buttoning his Shirt”
They were both painted by Maurice Quentin De La Tour in 1751...
In 1750, Maurice Quentin De La Tour became the official Court Painter for Louis XV...
Only Aristocratic and upper class families could afford commissioned portraits...
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