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Portrait of King Louis XII of France at Prayer
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.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1982 | 3000 Years of Glass: Treasures from The Walters Art Gallery. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France (Place of Origin)
Measurements
31 1/2 x 22 in. (80 x 55.9 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: 15th-Century Art of Northern Europe
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
46.34