64 - 18th-century FRENCH SCHOOL, follower of Jean-Baptiste SANTERRE (1651–1717)

18th-century FRENCH SCHOOL, follower of Jean-Baptiste SANTERRE (1651–1717) "Philippe d'Orléans (1674–1723), Regent of France" 1718 Oil on canvas Unsigned Louis-Philippe-style wooden frame with a gilded patina, decorated with foliage scrolls H 78 x W 62 cm Restored, re-stretched The original work, painted in 1717, is housed at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in England. Philippe d’Orléans, commonly known as the Regent, served as regent of the Kingdom of France during the minority of Louis XV. A grandson of Louis XIII, he was the son of Louis XIV’s younger brother, Philippe de France, Duke of Orléans, known as “Monsieur.” Upon the death of Louis XIV, he became regent, and his reign, which lasted from 1715 until his death in 1723, is known as the Regency. A man of war, Philippe d’Orléans took part in the last two wars of Louis XIV’s reign: the War of the League of Augsburg and the War of the Spanish Succession. His first campaign took place in 1691—when he was 17 years old—during the siege of Mons, led by the king. From that point on, he consistently displayed proud and impetuous bravery: at Leuze in September 1691, where he led the cavalry in a charge; at Steinkerque in 1692, where he was wounded; at Neerwinden in 1693, where he led five successive assaults. In 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Louis XIV entrusted him with command of the Army of Italy, but he was unable to withstand the assaults by the troops of Eugene of Savoy. The following year, he went to Spain, where he once again enjoyed numerous successes, notably in Catalonia, at Lérida, and Tortosa.