Two views of the Château de Saint-Cloud

Château de Saint-Cloud, Constant Troyon, circa 1840.

Constant Troyon (August 28, 1810, Sèvres - February 21, 1865, Paris), French painter of the Barbizon school, best know for his animal paintings.

Parc de Saint-Cloud, Charles Francois Daubigny, 1865.

Charles-François Daubigny (February 15, 1817, Paris - February 19, 1878, Paris), French painter of the Barbizon school, considered one of the important precursors of the Impressionists.

Two adjoining salons in the Château de Saint-Cloud

Salon des chambellans ou salon des officiers de service de S. M. L'Impératrice.

Salle des dames de S. M. L'Impératrice.

The Château de Saint-Cloud, begun in the 16th century, bought and transformed by Louis XIV's brother, "Monsieur", Philippe, duc d'Orléans, it descended in the Orléans family until it was bought by Marie Antoinette in 1785.  Until the fall of Napoléon III, it was a beloved residence of the successive rulers of France.  It was burned in the Siege of Paris, during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, and was later demolished.  Its beautiful park overlooking the Seine, designed by Le Nôtre, continues to be a popular destination in the environs of Paris.