Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, proclaimed King of Spain under the name of Philippe V, November 16, 1700

Gérard's history painting depicting the proclamation of Philippe V of Spain in November 1700 engages a subject from over a century before the artist's own time — the moment when Louis XIV's grandson Philippe, Duke of Anjou, was acknowledged as heir to the Spanish throne, triggering the War of the Spanish Succession. This diplomatic-dynastic subject would have had particular resonance for Bourbon monarchist audiences in nineteenth-century France: the Restoration Bourbons were the direct dynastic descendants of Louis XIV's house, and a painting celebrating the origins of Bourbon Spain affirmed the legitimacy of the entire Bourbon family claim to European sovereignty. The year given in the source data (1850) seems implausible given that Gérard died in 1837, suggesting an error. The Museum of the History of France at Versailles holds this as part of its comprehensive documentation of French dynastic history through painting.

The historical subject from 1700 required Gérard to work from imagination and historical documentation rather than direct observation — a different challenge from portraiture. The ceremonial scene would have been organized around the central moment of recognition or proclamation, with courtly figures arranged in a formal spatial composition that communicates the weight of dynastic and political significance.