Alexandre Cabanel

In 1853, Prosper Mérimée secured historical monument status for the Vincennes chapel. Shortly after, a campaign to restore the church began under architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc's auspices. Cabanel was commissioned to create a monumental painting devoted to the Glorification of St. Louis, one deeply informed by the artist's recent study of Italian Renaissance masters (now in the Musée national des châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, on deposit at the Musée Fabre, Montpellier). This study is for the head of a woman prostrate with illness in the right foreground of the painting. Her companion raises her head and shoulders as he gestures to the divine St. Louis seated above them.
St. Louis, the patron saint of the French monarchy, saw a resurgence of popularity as the monarchy was restored, and changing religious sentiment yielded an emphasis on mercy and compassion in Cabanel's painting. He prepared carefully for all elements, researching the costumes and making individual studies for most heads to ensure each figure was distinct in appearance.