The royal family of France: King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, and two of their children

A rare family portrait of the French royals Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI with daughter Marie-Thérèse, Duchess of Angoulême and theis son Louis Charles, Duke of Normandy, the later Dauphin of FRance. Portraits of them, along with their children, were often commissioned to project an image of stability, prosperity, and the supposed divine right of the monarchy.

The presence of the children in the etching could symbolize the hoped-for continuity of the Bourbon monarchy, which was, in reality, tragically cut short by the events of the French Revolution. The etching serves as a poignant reminder of the family's eventual fate and the tumultuous period that would follow.

As for the origins, such etchings were often made for circulation among the populace and to reinforce the image of the monarchy. They would be created by skilled engravers of the period and distributed as a form of propaganda or as a means to foster a connection between the monarchy and the public.

This particular etching captures the family in a relatively informal and affectionate grouping, which may have been intended to endear them to the public by showing the royal family as both regal and familial. The rarity of the etching could be due to the limited number of copies made or the destruction of many such images during the Revolution when symbols of the monarchy were often destroyed.