Description
Catherine de' Medici (1519-89) was the daughter of Lorenzo de' Medici, the duke of Urbino, and his French wife. Catherine married the duke of Orleans, later King Henry II of France (1519-59). Here, she is depicted with a widow's cap, which she continued to wear long after her husband's death. She was a patron and admirer of the exquisite enamel tableware produced in Limoges.
A linear, refined style with little shading is typical of the work of François Clouet, painter to the French court at Fontainebleau and a favorite of Queen Catherine. There are many versions of this painting, made for courtiers and family who wanted a portrait of the queen.
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