Prosper Lafaye 002, Prosper Lafaye, 1842

Princess marie d'orléans (1813-1839) in her studio at the tuileries. H. : 0. 55 m.;l. : 0. 87 m. Princess marie d'orléans (1813-1839), second daughter of king louis-philippe and queen marie-amélie, was one of the most endearing romantic artists. Trained as a child, like her brothers and sisters, in drawing, then painting, by ary scheffer, who was close to her family, she turned to sculpture and became a talented artist. Very marked by her reading of history works and novels, she had the living room of her apartment in the tuileries redesigned by the architect charpentier, in 1835, in the gothic style, to provide a setting for her works. Old furniture purchased from specialized merchants, and other new ones, ordered from carpenters, completed this set. The painting clearly details the rich and warm atmosphere of the room, the architectural decor in wood and stone cardboard, by the carpenter petit and the sculptor-decorator cruchet, the textile decor of the walls, the stained glass windows, the printed carpet and the furniture. In the center of the room, marie, standing, dressed in a white dress, tied at the waist with a cashmere scarf, leafs through an illuminated work placed on a lectern. Among the sculptures, we recognize charles vi in the forest of le mans de barye, on the dresser, near the window, and joan of arc crying at the sight of a wounded englishman, mary, on the large pedestal next to her. Lafaye represented the salon of marie d'orléans several times, but this painting seems to be the first. Remaining in the orléans family, it was acquired during the sale of the duke of vendôme in 1931. Technique: oil on canvas dimensions: 55x87 cm reference: mv 6120. Date: 1842.