Louis II of Bourbon (1621–1686), Duke of Enghien, in front of the battlefield of Rocroi, May 19, 1643

The Duke of Enghien, son of Henri II of Bourbon and of Charlotte de Montmorency was the first Prince of the Blood, cousin of the king, and was fifth in the line of succession to the throne in 1643. The victory of Rocroi of May 19, obtained just a few days after the death of King Louis XIII, meant that the young Louis II of Bourbon, future Prince de Condé (upon the death of his father in 1646) was raised to first in line. He then became the most formidable figure in the Fronde, which was a troubled period between 1648 and 1653. He reconciled with the court in 1660 and went on to remain loyal to Louis XIV.
This large-scale, 8 foot (2.46 m) high oil on canvas painting was created by Justus Van Egmont in 1645.
The Duke of Enghien is portrayed in the antiquity style, despite wearing a wig, which was in fashion from the reign of Louis XIII. The wealth of the attire emphasizes the importance of the subject. Louis was only 21 years old at the time of Rocroi and the youthful depiction of his facial features does not show his famous profile with a cleft lip. Here, the painter has given him a flawless, well-muscled body. Effectively, this was an idealized portrayal of his body, as contemporary peers described the subject as a slight, skinny man. He holds his baton of command in his hand. However, he was never raised to the rank of Marshal of France given his status as Prince of the Blood.
Two lines of cavalrymen looking toward the Plateau de Rocroi. The small town can be seen in the background. With a swift and energetic maneuver, the Duke of Enghien was able to disperse the enemy cavalry and overcome the formidable Spanish infantry with a series of furious cavalry charges.