A Court Lady

Art Historical Context

Created around the mid-to-late sixteenth century, *A Court Lady* exemplifies the refined portrait drawings produced in the circle of François Clouet, the celebrated French Renaissance artist who served as painter to the Valois court. Though the precise sitter remains unidentified, the work captures the elegance and poise expected of noblewomen during the reigns of Henry II and his successors. Clouet’s workshop specialized in such intimate studies, which often served both as independent works of art and as preparatory models for painted portraits. Executed in red and black chalk on ivory laid ...