A watercolour showing a view of Paris from the Palace of St. Cloud. A balcony is shown in the foreground with Paris stretching out below. The Arch de Triomphe is shown on the horizon. Inscribed below: Aug: 20 1855. View from St. Cloud looking towards Paris from my balcony.

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their eldest two children stayed in the Château de Saint-Cloud as guests of Napoleon III from 18-27 August 1855. In her journal entry of 20 August 1855, Queen Victoria describes how "The view of Paris, from our rooms & balcony [at St. Cloud], lit up by the coming sun, the Arc de Triomphe rising so majestically & beautifully, in the distance had a marvellous effect. I sat sketching on the balcony".