Attributed to Lucas de Heere - Triple profile portraits [1570]

Dressed and coiffed in the most elaborate fashion, the three figures in this portrait look exceedingly feminine. However, it is possible that they are in fact men, specifically, the then infamous mignons (male favorites) of French King Henry III (1551–1589). The style of the painting is deeply rooted in the art and ornamentation of the royal residence at Fontainebleau, where Henry was born. Henry’s ancestor King Francis I had greatly expanded and famously decorated this chateau in an exaggerated, highly artificial and vivid Mannerist style—shades of which can be seen in the artifice of this enigmatic triple profile portrait.

Source: MAM

collection.mam.org/details.php?id=11091

 

Attributed to Lucas de Heere

Triple profile portraits [1570]

Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM)

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