Description
The French king, Louis XII (1462-1515), clad in an ermine-trimmed mantel, kneels at his devotions and gazes at an unseen religious image or altar. If all the panels of this stained glass still existed, we would probably see a form of self-representation favored by French kings and their cousins, the dukes of Burgundy. The heavy textiles behind Louis function as one of the "walls" of what would be a little room created in a privileged location near the altar of a royal chapel or church. These textile walls would shield him from winter drafts as well as the inquisitive eyes of his courtiers.
Jean Perréal was the court painter and famous as a portraitist, though few documented works by him remain.
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