Valentine de Milan The Duchess of Orleans

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This marble statue of the Duchess of Orleans is part of a series called Reines de France and Femmes Illustres, which translates to Queens of France and Famous Women. King Louis Philippe I chose these statues to adorn the Luxembourg Gardens. This particular marble statue was commissioned by the Interior Minister on January 16, 1843, for $12,000 in French Francs and was produced by Jean Pierre Victor Huguenin, a French sculptor born in February 1802 who studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. The marble statue of Valentine de Milan stands 2.4 meters tall and does not include its stone base. It was completed in 1846 and presented at the Paris Salon for French artists before being placed in the Jardin du Luxembourg. The plaque on the base states her name as Valentine de Milan, but she is actually known as Valentina Visconti, Sovereign Countess of Vertus, and later Duchess d'Orleans. Valentine de Milan was born in 1370 or possibly 1371; the exact date is unknown. She passed away in December 1408 at Blois in France. Her marriage to Louis de Valois made her the Duchess of Orleans when he exchanged the Duchy of Touraine for the Duchy of Orleans in 1392. She had several children with Louis, including Charles, who became Duke of Orleans after his father was murdered by John the Fearless and later became a renowned Medieval French poet. The year 1846 is inscribed on the base of the statue by Jean Pierre Victor Huguenin, who received orders from King Louis Philippe I for sculptures at the Chateau de Versailles, the Palais du Louvre, and the Jardin du Luxembourg. Before his death in January 1860, Victor Huguenin also decorated the summer residence of Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie.