| The Duchess of Berry and Her Children | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | François Gérard |
| Year | c.1822 |
| Type | Oil on canvas,portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 275 cm × 181 cm (108 in × 71 in) |
| Location | Palace of Versailles,Versailles |
The Duchess of Berry and Her Children (French:Portrait of la duchesse de Berry et ses enfants) is an c.1822portrait painting by the FrenchartistFrançois Gérard. It depicts the widowedDuchess of Berry with her two childrenLouise andHenry[1] She had married the younger son of theCount of Artois, brother of the childlessLouis XVIII, in 1816.[2] Her residence theChâteau de Rosny-sur-Seine can be seen in the background.
Following theAssassination of the Duke of Berry in February 1820, it looked as the continued rule of theBourbon family was in doubt, but the Duchess gave birth to his posthumous son Henry who seemingly secured the future of the dynasty. Gérard has been a leading painter of theNapoleonic era but was able to be successfully continue his career following theBourbon Restoration. While the painting is sometimes dated 1820, the size of Henri (born in September 1820) and the absence ofmourning suggest it was produced slightly later. The work was exhibited at theSalon of 1822 at theLouvre in Paris]]. Today it is in the collection of thePalace of Versailles having been purchased in 1837 for 10,000Francs from the artist's widow byLouis Philippe I during theJuly Monarchy.[3] The Duchess also appeared in the 1824Portrait of the Duchess of Berry byÉlisabeth Vigée Le Brun.[4]