A watercolour and bodycolour drawing of the dressing room used by Queen Victoria at the château of Saint-Cloud. The Queen is seated at the dressing-table writing a letter. A window to the right looks out onto the gardens. Signed and dated at lower left: F de Fournier.1855.

In August 1855 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent ten days in Paris, on the invitation of Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie. The historic state visit was intended to celebrate the military alliance between Britain and France in the Crimean War, and followed a visit by the imperial couple to Windsor in April that year. The party stayed at the château of Saint-Cloud, to the west of Paris, which was later destroyed in the Franco-Prussian War. The apartments were those usually occupied by the Emperor and Empress, who was distressed 'at seeing how much less pretty the rooms were than those prepared for the Emperor and Empress at Windsor' (Letters of Lady Augusta Stanley, 1849-1863, London 1927, p. 73). Queen Victoria wrote in her journal that she 'slept very well & woke to admire our lovely room...furnished with the greatest taste...' (Journal, 19 August 1855).

Jean-Baptiste-Fortuné de Fournier was a popular portraitist who had painted the Emperor on several occasions. He also made several watercolours of the interiors at Saint-Cloud and the Tuileries. This watercolour and RCIN 920064 were copied for the Emperor and Empress; the copies are now at the château de Compiègne.