Valentine de Milan implore la justice du roi Charles VI pour l'assassinat du duc d'Orléans by Alexandre Colin

Colin employs a muted palette of deep shadows contrasted with the pallor of the pleading woman and the vivid greens and reds of the speaking male figure. The brushwork renders intricate costume details—red caps, capes, staffs, and parchment—while the patterned floor and tapestry‑adorned walls create depth and a sense of solemnity typical of 19th‑century academic history painting.

Executed in 1836, the work reflects the Romantic era’s fascination with dramatic historical episodes. It entered the collection of the Palace of Versailles, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of 19th‑century French art, illustrating the institution’s broader mission to preserve works that depict pivotal moments of French royal history.

The painting references the political turmoil following the 1407 assassination of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, an event that contributed to the Armagnac–Burgundian civil war. By focusing on Valentine’s appeal to Charles VI, Colin foregrounds the personal dimensions of a conflict that reshaped the French monarchy and its courtly rituals.