Muller was born in Paris and studied with Baron Gros (1771-1835); he became the Director of the Gobelins Manufacture. This painting is a modello or sketch for a large picture painted by Muller of Queen Victoria's reception at St Cloud. The finished painting was destroyed during the Franco-Prussian War. Queen Victoria's son-in-law, the Crown Prince of Prussia, recorded in his war diaries how he tried to save 'the great picture representing the arrival of my mother-in-law at the Palace in 1855' but it proved impossible. He asked the rescuers to try to 'at least to cut out for me the figure of my wife, but even this had to be given up'.

Queen Victoria described the event in her Journal: 'In a blaze of light…we reached the Palace. The dear Empress, Princess Matilde, & the Ladies received us at the door & took us up a beautiful staircase, lined with the splendid Cent Gardes…carrying muskets with a sword fixed at the top'.

The sketch is painted in oil over drawing in pencil, ink and wash, much of which can still be seen. The names of some of those present at the scene were written in by the artist. On the extreme right is the Earl of Clarendon, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The lady behind and to the right of the Queen is Lady Clarendon. The Princess Royal (Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, who was to marry the Crown Prince of Prussia in 1858) and the Prince of Wales (her eldest son) stand between the Queen and Prince Albert, and Lady Ely is behind the Princess Royal. Sir Charles Phipps and the Marquess of Abercorn are in the background between the Queen and the Emperor.

Signed: C.h Ls M.