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Lot Essay
The composition of this picture corresponds closely to the group portrait of King Louis XIV and Maria Theresa walking in front of the Chteau de Vincennes by van der Meulen, dated 1669, at Versailles. Van der Meulen entered the service of King Louis XIV in 1664, collaborating with Le Brun at Gobelins on a series of tapestries on the History of King Louis XIV.
There can be little doubt that the central characters in the present work are King Charles II and the Duke of York (the future King James II). No such composition by van der Meulen is known; however, if it is based upon a lost work, then the event must be dated before 1664. It would therefore seem plausible, especially given the artist's normal subject matter, that this is a representation of the two Stuarts departing for England in 1660 at the Restoration.
There can be little doubt that the central characters in the present work are King Charles II and the Duke of York (the future King James II). No such composition by van der Meulen is known; however, if it is based upon a lost work, then the event must be dated before 1664. It would therefore seem plausible, especially given the artist's normal subject matter, that this is a representation of the two Stuarts departing for England in 1660 at the Restoration.