3 - Workshop of Henri BEAUBRUN (1603–1677) and Charles BEAUBRUN (1604–1692).

Workshop of Henri BEAUBRUN (1603–1677) and Charles BEAUBRUN (1604–1692). Full-length portrait of Philippe of France (1640–1701), Duke of Anjou, as a child. Oil on canvas. Circa 1643. H. 105 cm x W. 82 cm. Provenance - Belgian private collection. - French private collection. History Our painting, a true historical portrait, is part of the iconography of the sons of France as children and constitutes a valuable record of how young princes were depicted in the 17th century. It depicts Philippe of France, the only brother of King Louis XIV (1638–1715). Born on September 21, 1640, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the son of Louis XIII (1601–1643) and Anne of Austria (1601–1666), he was granted the title of Duke of Anjou at birth before becoming Duke of Orléans in 1660, upon the death of his uncle Gaston d’Orléans (1608–1660). Nicknamed “Petit Monsieur” to distinguish him from his uncle, he subsequently bore the title “Monsieur,” traditionally reserved under the Ancien Régime for the king’s younger brother. In this work, the young prince’s features are easily recognizable (ill. 1). He is depicted wearing a robe and the cord of the Order of the Holy Spirit—an honor bestowed upon the sons of France at baptism—as in most of his childhood portraits (ill. 2). While wearing a robe was common in the 17th century for young boys—including those of the royal family—before they “put on breeches,” which marked their transition to men’s clothing, it also took on, in the case of younger princes, a political dimension, reflecting the desire to distance them from any claim to power. Philippe’s education was, in fact, deliberately structured to divert him from any political ambition and to prevent him from appearing as a potential rival to his brother. This distinction in the upbringing and status of the two princes is clearly evident in a double portrait attributed to the Beaubrun brothers, which closely resembles our work (ill. 3). While several portraits of Philippe de France are known, the prince most often appears in them accompanied by his mother or his brother. There are also portraits and bust engravings, but an official full-length portrait depicting Louis XIV’s only brother as a child—as in our work—remains extremely rare. Only a painting housed at the Prado Museum offers a truly comparable parallel (ill. 4). Related Works - Workshop of Henri (1603–1677) and Charles (1604–1692) Beaubrun, Portrait of Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, aged two, 1642, Millon auction, 2023, private collection (ill. 1). - Anonymous French artist, Anne of Austria, Queen of France, and her children, 1640–1650, Versailles, National Museum of the Palaces of Versailles and Trianon (inv. MV 3369) (ill. 2). - Attributed to Henri (1603–1677) and Charles (1604–1692) Beaubrun, Portrait of Louis XIV with his brother Philippe, Duke of Anjou, both as children, 1645, Sotheby’s auction, 1990, private collection (ill. 3). - Anonymous, Philip of France, Duke of Orléans, c. 1643, Madrid, Museo del Prado (inv. P002374) (ill. 4). Literature - AUGÉ, Claude (ed.), *Larousse Universel* in 2 volumes: New Encyclopedic Dictionary, Paris, Larousse, 1922, vol. 1, p. 13. - BÉNÉZIT, Emmanuel, *Critical and Documentary Dictionary of Painters, Sculptors, Draftsmen, and Engravers*, Paris, 1939. - GUÉRIN, Paul (ed.), *Dictionary of Dictionaries*. Literature, Sciences, Arts, Universal Encyclopedia, Paris, 1889. - GUILLET DE SAINT-GEORGES, Georges, “Henri and Charles Beaubrun,” in Unpublished Memoirs on the Life and Works of the Members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Paris, 1854, vol. 1, pp. 137–146. - WILDENSTEIN, Georges, “The Beaubruns,” *Gazette des Beaux-Arts*, November 1960, pp. 261–274.