Description: Oil on canvas painting of Philippe 1st, Duke of Orleans in his armor as he likely wore at the battle of Cassel as commander, also wearing an impressive medal likely received for the same.
Likely done by Pierre Mignard (1640 - 1725) or his father by the same name Pierre Mignard (1612 - 1695).
Titled on the stretcher Phillippe (sp.) and dated Domini1684.


History: Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (21 September 1640 – 9 June 1701), was the younger son of Louis XIII of France and his wife, Anne of Austria. His older brother was Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston in 1660. In 1661, Philippe also received the dukedoms of Valois and Chartres.Following Philippe's victory in battle in 1671, Louis XIV added the dukedom of Nemours, the marquisates of Coucy and Folembray, and the countships of Dourdan and Romorantin. During the reign of his brother he was known simply as Monsieur, the traditional style at the court of France for the younger brother of the king.
Unabashedly effeminate and preferentially homosexual, he nonetheless fulfilled his dynastic duty by marrying twice and begetting several children. In fact, he was the founder of the House of Orléans, a cadet branch of the ruling House of Bourbon, and thus the direct ancestor of Louis Philippe I, who ruled France from 1830 till 1848 in the July Monarchy. Through the children of his two marriages, Philippe became an ancestor of most modern-day Roman Catholic royalty, giving him the nickname of "the grandfather of Europe". Philippe's other achievements include his decisive victory as military commander at the Battle of Cassel in 1677. Through careful personal administration, Philippe greatly augmented the fortunes of the House of Orléans.
Philippe was born on 21 September 1640 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. As the son of a ruling king, the infant Philippe held the rank of a Fils de France (son of France).[1] As such, he ranked immediately behind his older brother Louis, Dauphin of France, who inherited the French throne before Philippe reached the age of three. From birth, Philippe was second in line to the throne of France and was entitled to the style of Royal Highness.[1] He was born in the presence of his father Louis XIII, the Princess of Condé,[5] and the Duchess of Vendôme, prominent members of the Bourbon dynasty. An hour after his birth, he was baptised in a private ceremony by Dominique Séguier, Bishop of Meaux,[6] and given the name Philippe. Louis XIII had wanted to give the infant the title Count of Artois in honour of a recent French victory in Arras within the county of Artois. However, Louis respected tradition and gave him the title of Duke of Anjou instead, a title commonly granted to the younger sons of French kings since the fourteenth century. After his baptism, Philippe was put in the care of Françoise de Souvré, marquise de Lansac, who also looked after his older brother.
Cultural expansion and property[edit] From the time of the victory at Cassel until the 1690s, Philippe mainly concentrated his energies on the expansion of his estates, personal fortune, and art collection, including the renovation of his residences, the Palais Royal and the Château de Saint-Cloud. The latter was his favourite residence,[78] the home of an ever-expanding and "stormy" court.[63] Philippe became an important patron of the artists Jean Nocret and Pierre Mignard, both of whom were employed to elaborate the décor at Saint Cloud and the Palais Royal. As early as 1660, Philippe also ordered Antoine Lepautre to begin extensions at Saint Cloud; later he became contrôleur général of Philippe's properties.[74] The Château de Saint Cloud c.1677 Following Lepautre's death in 1679, work on Saint Cloud was continued by his executive assistant Jean Girard in collaboration with Thomas Gobert. Later on, Philippe sought Mansart to design a grand staircase in the left wing in the manner of the Ambassadors' Staircase at Versailles. The gardens were redesigned by André Le Nôtre, while the basin and lowermost canal were added by Mansart in 1698. At the time of Philippe's death in 1701, the estate of Saint Cloud covered some1,200 acres (4.9 km2). Saint Cloud remained with the Orléans family until 1785, when Philippe's great-grandson Louis Philippe d'Orléans sold it to Marie Antoinette, Philippe's great-granddaughter, for the sum of 6,000,000 livres.[79] Minor improvements at the Palais Royal began in 1661 at the time of Philippe's marriage to Henrietta, but the property was part of the crown holdings, and had not been used officially for years.[80] Philippe was limited in what he could do to renovate the building until it was given to him in 1692.[81] Philippe again turned to Mansart for assistance in modernizing it. The interior décor was entrusted to Antoine Coypel, whose father Noël Coypel had previously worked at the palace.[82] In 1695, Philippe bought a small island in the Seine directly opposite the château, which he renamed the "Île de Monsieur". Philippe not only enjoyed architecture and court society, but also music and dancing; he was in fact famed for his exceptional dancing abilities. Philippe was a patron of musicians such as Anglebert, Dumont, Arlaud, and Marie Aubry, many of whom would stay part of his son's household after his death in 1701. Lully was also a protégé of Philippe after he left Mademoiselle's household. Philippe's small art collection created the basis for the Orleans Collection, one of the most important art collections ever assembled.[83] With the permission of the parlement of Paris, Philippe sponsored projects to help maintain his estates and enhance their profitability. From 1679, he was granted the right to build the Canal d'Orléans, a large canal that connected the Loire River at Orléans to a junction with the Canal du Loing and the Canal de Briare in the village of Buges near Montargis.[84] As the largest canal built in France since Philippe's grandfather Henri IV built the Canal de Briare in 1604, its construction was considered an engineering feat. The canal, used to transport goods from Orléans to Paris, was a great success in its time[84] and is still used widely today. Philippe's careful investment and management of his various estates made him a wealthy man in his own right, and his fortune was augmented considerably at the death of his cousin Mademoiselle in 1693. Philippe is acknowledged as being not only the biological founder of the House of Orléans, but as financial founder of a family whose monetary value would rival that of the main line of the House of Bourbon.

Provenance: N/A


Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 5.2 | Height(in) = 34.75 | Width(in) = 28.5 | Depth(in) = 2.25

Size of Artwork(in): 33.75 x 27.6"


Artist Name: Pierre Mignard 1st or 2nd


Medium: Oil, canvas


Circa: Circa 1680

Paper backing of the original canvas easily seen and removed. Old varnish, likely original, a few areas of touch up for minor flakes, stretcher bar stress, indentations in canvas, some scuffing and tiny losses. Would benefit from a cleaning and relining.