642 - B. JULIEN (*1802) after MAURIN (*1793), King Louis Philippe and his family, circa 1830, lithograph

B. JULIEN (*1802) after MAURIN (*1793), King Louis Philippe and his family, circa 1830, lithograph Bernard Romain Julien (1802, Bayonne – 1871, ibid.) after Antoine Maurin (1793, Perpignan – 1860, Paris): The Royal Family of France, Louis Philippe, c. 1830, lithograph Technique: Lithography on paper Inscription: Signed on the lower part of the printing plate: "Lith. par Julien d'après N. Maurin / Lith. de Lemercier, rue du Four S. G. No. 55." Inscribed on the printing plate: "A Paris, chez Bulla, rue S. Jacques No. 38. / Royal Family." Date: c. 1830 Description: The French lithographer Nicolas-Eustache Maurin created a large number of portraits of famous contemporaries, in addition to book illustrations and some erotic depictions. Surrounded by his closest family, the “Citizen King” Louis-Philippe I of the House of Bourbon is portrayed here. He is depicted with his wife, Maria Amalia of Naples-Sicily, and the royal couple’s nine sons and daughters, positioned above two crossed flags and in front of insignia on either side. After the profound political and social upheavals of the French Revolution and the July Revolution in 1830, it was of great importance for the monarch to be portrayed as being close to the bourgeoisie. The emphasis on the family in this lithograph, as well as the reference to Louis-Philippe’s military achievements for France, bring him closer to the people, even though the composition resembles a divine Olympus. However, the ambiguity of this depiction is also reminiscent of Louis-Philippe’s initially liberal government, which later showed increasing ambitions to restore the ancien régime. Keywords: Louis-Philippe I, Citizen King, Bourbon, Naples-Sicily, France, Nobility, Princes, King, Family, Ancien Régime, 19th century, Biedermeier, Portraits, France, Size: Paper: 34.2 cm x 45.2 cm (13.5 x 17.8 in), Image: 28.0 cm x 41.5 cm (11 x 16.3 in) Condition: Good condition. Very slight dust staining in the margin. Upper right corner has a slight crease.