CHARMING PORTRAIT OF THE BOY DUKE OF PARMA ROBERTO I, AGED ABOUT 11, DRAWN AND ENGRAVED BY LODOVICO BIGOLA. by Roberto I, Duke of Parma and Piacenza. (1848-1907). Elder son of Duke of Parma Charles III,he succeeded to the dukedom at the age of six upon his father's assassination in 1854 - [1859].

Circa [1859]., [1859].. Fine. - Original engraving, 6-3/4 inches high by 4-3/4 inches wide on a 10-3/8 inch high by 7-1/2 inch wide sheet. Titled below the image "Roberto I. / Duca di Parma, Piacenza / Stati annessi", with the words "L. Bigola dis. e inc." immediately under the portrait. Near fine.

The boy duke is portrayed at three-quarter length, his hair closely cut and neatly parted, wearing a high-necked, military-style jacket with sash & sword under a long overcoat. The print was drawn and engraved by Lodovico Bigola of Parma [1822-1905].

Roberto I, Duke of Parma and Piacenza. (1848-1907) was the elder son of Charles III, Duke of Parma, and Louise Marie Therese d'Artois, granddaughter of King Charles X of France. Roberto succeeded to the dukedom at the age of six when his father was assassinated in 1854. His mother served as regent. Roberto was deposed in 1859, at the age of eleven, as Piedmontese troops annexed other Italian states, ultimately leading to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy [hence "stati annessi" i.e. "annexed"]. Despite losing his dukedom Roberto and his family enjoyed considerable wealth, traveling in a private train of more than a dozen cars between his castles at Schwarzau am Steinfield near Vienna, Villa Pianore in northwest Italy and the magnificent Chateau de Chambord in France.