Magnificent Sèvres Biscuit Porcelain Portrait Medallion of Hélène, Duchess of Orléans — Period Giltwood Frame, circa 1840A magnificent and historically significant Royal Sèvres biscuit porcelain portrait medallion, circa 1840, depicting Hélène Louise Élisabeth de Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1814–1858), Duchess of Orléans and Princess Royal of France, exquisitely modeled in crisp white relief against the characteristic pale blue ground. The surrounding inscription reads “HELENE LOUISE DUCHESSE D’ORLEANS”, with “1814”, the year of her birth, below.Of exceptional presentation, the medallion is preserved in its handsome 19th-century giltwood frame, with broad gilded molded surround and a finely ornamented inner border. The rich, softly aged gilding provides a superb contrast to the delicate white and blue Sèvres biscuit and gives the piece the appearance of a miniature royal portrait. Related Orléans-family Sèvres medallions are documented in comparable period giltwood frames, making the survival of the present example in this form particularly desirable.Of particular significance, an identical example of this portrait medallion is recorded in the Louvre Collections, Paris. The presence of the same portrait type in the Louvre provides exceptional museum context for this beautifully framed example and underscores its importance within the royal portraiture of the July Monarchy.Hélène, Duchess of OrléansBorn Hélène Louise Élisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1814, Hélène married Ferdinand-Philippe d’Orléans, eldest son and heir of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French, in 1837, becoming Duchess of Orléans and Princess Royal of France.During the Revolution of 1848, following Louis-Philippe’s abdication, Hélène famously appeared before the Chamber of Deputies in an attempt to secure the crown for her young son and the regency for herself—an extraordinary episode that placed her at the center of one of the defining political moments of 19th-century France.Museum & sale ComparisonsThe portrait is firmly documented within the output of the Manufacture de Sèvres. An identical Hélène portrait was offered together with that of her husband Ferdinand-Philippe as a pair of Sèvres biscuit medallions on blue grounds, catalogued to the Louis-Philippe period, while another individual example was catalogued as Manufacture de Sèvres, circa 1840.Of particular relevance to the magnificent framing of the present example, Christie’s Paris sold three related Orléans-family biscuit portrait medallions in giltwood frames from the collection of the Comte and Comtesse de Paris on 14 October 2008, Lot 318, for €8,125.An important collection of thirteen Sèvres biscuit portrait medallions of King Louis-Philippe and his family—including Hélène, Duchess of Orléans— was also offered by Coutau-Bégarie, Paris, in 2014. The collection had descended from Gabriel Gustave de Wailly, an official of King Louis-Philippe’s Civil List, and the group ultimately achieved a reported €10,000 hammer price. For reference, photographs of the Louvre example and relevant Christie’s and other sale comparisons are included among the listing images.Please examine all photographs carefully for condition and details.
Related Items:
Rare Sevres Porcelain Medallion Hélène Duchess of Orléans Giltwood Frame c1840
$1500.00
Rare Sèvres Porcelain Medallion of Queen Louise d’Orléans, Louvre Museum Sevres
$950.00
RARE Antique Sevres Porcelain Trinket Box with Ormolu, Tray/Underplate France
$1299.99
