Artwork

Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois

Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois, by Louis-Édouard Rioult, oil, 1839
Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois, by Louis-Édouard Rioult, oil, 1839

Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois is an oil painting by Louis-Édouard Rioult. It dates from 1839 and is held in the collection of the Palace of Versailles. Louis‑Édouard Rioult’s 1839 oil portrait presents two young members of the Bourbon family in an outdoor setting.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The composition incorporates specific iconographic elements associated with their royal status and youth, including body armor, a crown, a sword, and flowers.

The painting depicts Anne-Marie de Bourbon, the future princess of Conti, and her brother Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois, seated together in a park setting. The composition incorporates specific iconographic elements associated with their royal status and youth, including body armor, a crown, a sword, and flowers. These attributes serve to symbolize their noble lineage and the martial or regal destiny expected of the children of the House of Bourbon.

The work functions as a historical portrait commissioned by King Louis-Philippe in 1839 specifically for the Museum of the History of France at Versailles, aiming to preserve the visual memory of the dynasty's members within a curated national narrative.

Technique & Style

Louis-Édouard Rioult's 1839 portrait is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 129 by 140 cm. The work is a copy commissioned by Louis-Philippe for the historical museum at Versailles, replicating an original formerly held at the Château d'Eu. As a portrait, the composition incorporates symbolic and descriptive attributes, depicting its subjects alongside elements such as body armor, a crown, a sword, flowers, and a park setting. The inclusion of a dress and a seated posture further structures the formal arrangement of the double portrait.

History & Provenance

Painted by Louis-Édouard Rioult in 1839, this oil on canvas work was commissioned by King Louis-Philippe specifically for the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles. The piece functions as a copy based on an original painting that was formerly held at the Château d'Eu. Created to populate the historical galleries of Versailles, the work entered the national collection with inventory numbers MV 4304, INV 7626, and LP 3912. It remains located within the national museums of the Palace of Versailles and Trianon.

The painting is held by the Museum of the History of France, located within the Palace of Versailles in France. It is registered under the inventory numbers MV 4304, INV 7626, and LP 3912. Commissioned by Louis-Philippe in 1839 for the historical museum at Versailles, the work serves as a copy of an original formerly situated at the Château d'Eu.

The artwork remains in the collection of the national museums of Versailles and Trianon. No specific public exhibitions outside of its permanent institutional display are documented in the available records.

Context

The portrait of Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois, painted by Louis-Édouard Rioult in 1839, was created as a copy commissioned by Louis-Philippe for the Musée historique de Versailles, reflecting the 19th-century French royalist interest in historical portraiture and dynastic legacy. The work, an oil on canvas measuring 129 cm by 140 cm, is part of the collection at the Museum of the History of France at the Palace of Versailles and has been documented in French cultural inventories since at least 2024. Its production as a replica of an earlier version at the Château d'Éu underscores contemporary practices of artistic reproduction for national heritage institutions.

Scholarly attention to the piece has focused on its role within the corpus of French portraiture and its political context during the July Monarchy, with recent studies emphasizing its function as a visual narrative of Bourbon succession. The painting’s inclusion in the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon’s holdings highlights its significance as a material artifact of 19th-century French historical consciousness, studied for its blend of royal symbolism and technical execution within the academic tradition of the period.

The work’s reception and interpretation have been shaped by its placement within institutional frameworks dedicated to preserving French national history, where it continues to inform research on royal family representations in 19th-century art and the evolution of museum curation practices regarding historical relics.

Overview

Louis‑Édouard Rioult’s 1839 oil portrait presents two young members of the Bourbon family in an outdoor setting. The composition places the girl, later Princess of Conti, seated on stone steps with a floral bouquet, while the boy, the Count of Vermandois, stands beside her in a ceremonial uniform, holding a toy sword. A garden backdrop with trees and a muted sky frames the scene, emphasizing their aristocratic attire.

Anne of Austria and Marie-Thérèse of Austria, queens of France
Anne of Austria and Marie-Thérèse of Austria, queens of France, Simon Renard de Saint-André

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Palace of Versailles open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.

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Frequently asked questions

Who painted Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois?

Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois was painted by Louis-Édouard Rioult in 1839-01-01.

Where can I see Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois?

Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois is held by Palace of Versailles.

Can I buy a print of Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois?

Museum-quality prints of Anne-Marie de Bourbon, future princess of Conti and Louis de Bourbon, count of Vermandois are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.