414. Master of the Fontainebleau School, French,

Presumed Portrait of Gabrielle d’Estrées and

her sister, the Duchess of Villars, c. 1594.

Oil on panel, 96 x 125 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

 

 

The ostentatious gesture is thought to insinuate the maternity of Gabrielle d’Estrée, who gave birth to Henri IV’s illegitimate son, César de Vendôme in 1594. She holds a ring, symbol of her love for the king and the marriage he promised her.