Marie de Médicis
1616
Frans Pourbus the Younger, the official court painter, didn't just capture a queen here; he painted a walking status symbol. Marie de' Medici is decked out in a ruff collar so massive and stiff it looks like a pair of angel wings made of laundry. Dressed in black velvet—likely mourning her assassinated husband Henry IV—she holds a small book to signal her piety while staring down the viewer with Regent-level authority. Painted in 1616, this piece is a great example of Mannerist portraiture, where looking incredibly uncomfortable and expensive was the ultimate goal of high fashion.
Views: 10