Louis d'Orléans, workshop of Jean Ranc, circa 1720

Important portrait of Louis d´Orléans, grandson of Louis XIV, son of Philippe d'Orléans, the Regent.
The prince is depicted half-length, looking the spectator in the face.
Curly, powdery hair frames her porcelain-skinned oval face. The careful rendering of the complexions of the face with rosy cheeks accentuates its youthful freshness.
The young adolescent is portrayed at the age of around 15, presented as a man of war and a man of the court.
Dressed in his armor plastron, he wears over it a blue velvet leotard with large gold embroidery, the lapel of which is lined with pink satin. Its pastel pink tones contrast with the metallic reflections of its bib.
A gloved hand resting on her thigh and holding another white glove reveals the lace on her sleeve.
He wears in a saltire the faded red ribbon of the Order of Saint-Louis, of which he was knighted in 1715.
Around the neck, it displays a jewel composed of a large ruby ??set in gold and surrounded by diamonds.
Her face lit by intense light stands out against the backdrop of trees with dense foliage in different shades of green.
The painter succeeds in conveying not only the power of the house of Orleans, but also the strong personality of the young prince thanks to several elements: the fixed pose, but imposing, the tight lips and a dominant gaze, the theatrical lighting contrasting with a green view in the background.
Workshop of Jean Ranc, circa 1720
Oil on canvas,
Dimensions: h. 85 cm, l. 66 cm
18th century carved giltwood frame with floral corners
Framed: h. 106 cm, l. 90 cm.

Jean Ranc (Montpellier, 1674-Madrid, 1735).
Jean Ranc began his apprenticeship in the studio of his father, the painter Antoine Ranc, and in 1697 he went to Paris, where he completed his training with Hyacinthe Rigaud, and later became his collaborator. In 1703, he entered the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The protection of his master opened the way for him in his career within the court and, appreciated by the Regent, he managed to paint various members of the royal family of France, in particular by painting the portrait of Louis XV (1718, Musée du Palace of Versailles, Versailles). His talent as a portrait painter also brought him numerous commissions from the aristocracy. Ranc also deals with allegorical and mythological subjects, such as the famous work Vertumne et Pomone (1720-1722, Musée Fabre, Montpellier. Solicited by Felipe V, on the recommendation of the Regent, Ranc arrived in Madrid in 1722, where he produced numerous portraits of the Spanish royal family but also the Portuguese royal family, which he visited in Lisbon between 1729 and 1730. He also worked on the decoration of the old Alcazar of Madrid, lost in the fire of 1734. The Prado retains some of its his best works, such as the sketch for The Family of Felipe V, which can be dated to around 1723, when the king commissioned the official portraits.

Louis d´Orléans (Versailles, 1703- Paris, 1752)
He was born on August 4, 1703 into the royal family. Grandson of Louis XIV by his mother Françoise-Marie de Bourbon and his grand-nephew by his father Philippe d'Orléans, the Regent, he was naturally called upon to intervene on the political scene, failing to play a major role in the conduct of business. First prince of the blood, he was heir apparent to the crown from 1723 by virtue of the renunciations of the Treaty of Utrecht, and became titular on the death of his father, the Regent, of the most important prerogative of the kingdom, the Duchy of Orleans, which he restores and enriches. However, after having nurtured some ambitions, the will of the prince submitted to that of God, and the duke retired to the abbey of Sainte-Geneviève, in Paris, to ensure his salvation.