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Charles et Henri Beaubrun French school of the...

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32000 EUR

Charles et Henri Beaubrun French school of the XVIIth century, around 1645, attributed to Charles and Henri Beaubrun. Rare double portrait representing Louis XIV and Philippe de France as children. The king of France is about 7 years old and Philip of France about 5 years old. Louis XIV at about 7 years old officially passes "to men" and wears consequently miniature clothes according to the male fashion of the time, while Philippe is dressed in a dress, a childish garment regardless of the sex. The future king of France is portrayed standing, turned three-quarter, wearing a brocaded silk jacket, puffed sleeves, a collar with a white lace flap, a blouse, a floating hunting top that goes down above the knees decorated with lace, silk stockings and boot bottoms decorated with lace. He is wearing gray funnel boots with red heels, to which golden spurs are attached. Over his right arm, his scarlet cape embroidered with gold thread and lined with brocaded silk. He holds his black felt hat, decorated with a red bow and a large ostrich feather. He wears a blue scarf and the cross of the Order of the Holy Spirit. The solemn expression in his eyes contrasts with the face of a toddler with full cheeks and a fresh complexion, framed by curly blond hair. Philip on the right, is dressed in a silk robe with an apron richly decorated with lace. He also wears the blue ribbon and the cross of the order of the Holy Spirit. He wears a cap decorated with an ostrich feather in the childish fashion. His face is framed by his dark brown curls. Louis dips his hand in Philippe's raised apron filled with flowers. This posture of two brothers as well as the gesture full of affection, testifies to the closeness of two children that the painter wanted to convey through the official portrait of the heirs to the crown. The symbols of the monarchy: the crown and the scepter are placed on the ground to the left of Louis, meaning that he has not yet reached the age to be crowned. Their two figures stand out against the background of a large curtain of blue velvet fringed with gold, whose cleverly constructed folds expose the shimmering reflections of the fabric. The raised curtain exposes the distant horizon. French school of the XVIIth century, around 1645, attributed to Charles and Henri Beaubrun. Oil on canvas, dimensions: h. 122 cm, l. 90 cm Important gilded and carved wood frame from the Louis XIV period. Framed dimensions : h. 153 cm, l. 123 cm This rare portrait is part of a series of works illustrating the childhood of the two princes, mainly commissioned by Anne of Austria, the mother and regent, after the death of Louis XIII. Expressing her fierce desire to preserve her son's crown, she used visual communication as a channel for sovereign expression. The portraits serve to reinforce the royal power weakened by the minority of the young Louis XIV Promoting the image of Louis XIV, even as a child, by distributing his portraits, consolidated the durability of the monarchy and guaranteed dynastic permanence. The presence of a second son, Philippe d'Anjou, further strengthens the solidity of the royal blood and should reassure the viewers of the painting: the existence of a second heir to the throne counterbalances the fragility of a monarchy whose future depends on a child of barely 7 years. We are thus in the presence of an affirmation of continuity, stability and dynastic legitimacy. Related works : 1. A variant of our portrait was auctioned at Sotheby's, London, 31 October 1990, lot 158 (dimensions 134 x 98) 2. Anne of Austria and her children, Palace of Versailles (MV 3369) 3. Louis XIV and Philippe d'Orleans, ca. 1642, Charles Beaubrun, Museo Sa Bassa Blanca, Majorca, Spain 4. Anne of Austria and her sons, Charles Beaubrun, ca. 1646, National Museum of Stockholm Charles Beaubrun (1604-1692), Henri Beaubrun (1603-1677) Charles and Henri Beaubrun, inseparable in their lives, are also inseparable in the history of French painting. Charles' father, Mathieu de Beaubrun, page to the Cardinal of Joyeuse, was sent to Rome to perfect his education as an artist, the talent he had passed on to his son. As for Henri, his father, also named Henri, was a valet of the king's wardrobe, which earned the son a place as a porte-arquebuse. Louis XIII recognized the passion for painting of young Henri and took an interest in his education. Henri gaining popularity as a painter at court, associated his cousin Charles with new commissions from the courtiers, and so they began to work together on the same works, so that it is dificult to distinguish the hand of each painter. The cousins collaborated between 1630 and 1675, painted many official portraits and specialized in royal portraits, being appointed official court painters under the reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. In the middle of the century, they had great success with

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