Lot Essay
This prie dieu appears in the inventory of the mobilier at the château d'Eu of 1 January 1841 (Archives Nationals, archives de la Maison de France 300 AP (1) 1585) as follows:
739- un prie Dieu bois peint et velours cramoisi avec sa housse en toile valeur 40
Seven other identical prie dieu appear under the inventory numbers that follow. The set of eight was reserved for the use of the royal family and it is quite possible that the example offered here, being numbered first, was reserved for the king.
An identical prie dieu but lacking carving on the uprights and stamped Jacob was used by Louis-Philippe at the château de Neuilly (sold Neuilly-sur-Seine, 19 November 1986). Two other prie dieu both stamped Jacob and with the brands of the royal château de Bizy and the château du Palais were sold in these Rooms, 24 March 1994, lot 287 and Sotheby's London, 10 June 1994, lot 146.
The château d'Eu was built in 1578 for Henri de Lorraine, duc de Guise. It was owned in the 18th century by the duc de Penthièvre, Louis-Philippe's grandfather. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1814, the château reverted to the dowager duchesse d'Orléans and was inherited in 1821 by the duc d'Orléans, the future Louis-Philippe. Shortly after, he engaged the architect Pierre Fontaine to undertake an extensive refurbishment of the château from 1824-1833.
739- un prie Dieu bois peint et velours cramoisi avec sa housse en toile valeur 40
Seven other identical prie dieu appear under the inventory numbers that follow. The set of eight was reserved for the use of the royal family and it is quite possible that the example offered here, being numbered first, was reserved for the king.
An identical prie dieu but lacking carving on the uprights and stamped Jacob was used by Louis-Philippe at the château de Neuilly (sold Neuilly-sur-Seine, 19 November 1986). Two other prie dieu both stamped Jacob and with the brands of the royal château de Bizy and the château du Palais were sold in these Rooms, 24 March 1994, lot 287 and Sotheby's London, 10 June 1994, lot 146.
The château d'Eu was built in 1578 for Henri de Lorraine, duc de Guise. It was owned in the 18th century by the duc de Penthièvre, Louis-Philippe's grandfather. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1814, the château reverted to the dowager duchesse d'Orléans and was inherited in 1821 by the duc d'Orléans, the future Louis-Philippe. Shortly after, he engaged the architect Pierre Fontaine to undertake an extensive refurbishment of the château from 1824-1833.