19th century French school - Lot 525

19th century French school The Death of the Duc de Berry with Louis XVIII and Charles X Oil on canvas. 34 x 45 cm (Old canvas covering) The Duc De Berry is depicted here, expiring in the midst of the royal family who rushed to his side immediately after the assassination committed on his person on February 13, 1820, as he left the Opéra by Louvel, a saddler's boy. His father, the future Charles X, supports him by his bed, while King Louis XVIII, having restored the Bourbon dynasty, occupies the center of the canvas, linking to the Duc de Berry's wife, Princess Caroline of the Two Sicilies, enraged with grief and supported by her attendants. The two sources of light on either side of the canvas unite the bereaved royal family. However, the composition, reminiscent of a work by Alexandre-Évariste Fragonard, emphasizes the return and continuity of the Bourbon dynasty, despite the horror of the crime.