1569 -1622 · Flemish ceremonial portrait and European courts

From black velvet to armor, from lace to sovereign looks, Frans Pourbus the Younger gives the ceremonial portrait a monumental precision.

Frans Pourbus the Younger was born in Antwerp in 1569 into a dynasty of painters. Trained by his father Frans Pourbus the Elder and heir of Pieter Pourbus, he became master of the guild of Saint-Luc in 1591. He first served the archdukes Albert and Isabella in Brussels, then Duke Vincent I Gonzaga in Mantua. His travels in Italy and his diplomatic missions allowed him to portray princes, princesses and members of the great European courts. In 1609, he settled in Paris with Marie de Medici. In 1609, he settled in Paris with Marie de Medici. He then established himself in Paris alongside Marie de Medici. He then established himself in Paris alongside Marie de Medici. In 1609, he settled in Paris with Marie de Medici. He then established himself in Paris alongside Marie de Medici. He then fixed the image of Henry IV, Louis XIII, the queen and the main dignitaries of the kingdom. His art combines an attentive resemblance with a very visual ceremonial built. The face remains calm, the hands are measured, while brocades, lace, jewelry and armor describe the rank with almost tactile precision. In Henry IV in armor, metal and insignia heroize the sovereign; in the portraits of Isabelle-Claire-Eugénie or Claude de Lorraine, posture and clothing translate the dynastic position. Pourbus is not limited to the effigy, however: his religious subjects show that narrative clarity and court dignity can also organize a sacred scene. Pourbus, however, did not limit himself to the effigy: his religious subjects showed that narrative clarity and court dignity could also organize a sacred scene. Pourbus did not limit himself to the effigy: his religious subjects showed that narrative clarity and court dignity could also organize a sacred scene. He died in Paris in 1622, after having helped define the official European portrait of the early 17th century. The selection "Frans Pourbus the Younger" notably puts opposite Henri IV in armor and Isabelle-Claire-Eugénie. His reading favors the story.

In a portrait of Pourbus, nothing is incidental: the shine of a jewel and the restraint of a hand speak as much as the face.