Head Detail of Madame de Canaples

Madame de Canaples (Marie d'Assigny, 1502 - 58), by Jean Clouet, about 1525. Accession no. NG 1930, Medium Oil on panel, Size 36.00 x 28.50 cm.

"This aristocratic lady, shown in three-quarter view, rests her hands on a ledge, enhancing the illusion that she appears to exist in believable space. It also draws attention to her many rings. The portrait was probably painted in 1525, the year that Marie d’Assigny married Jean de Crequi, sire de Canaples. The painting is close in character to a drawing by Clouet (now in Chantilly) which bears an inscription identifying the sitter as Madame de Canaples, a lady at the court of François I."

This image shows the French hood sitting very close to the head, even as it comes down the neck. The curve of the upper billiments leads me to believe that such billiments are attached to the black hood (mostly unseen in this image due to very dark background), and not left to dangle free. Most likely the hood is held close to the head by a strap around the chin. While hard to see in this copy (view other copy here), the goffered trim along the front of the hood appears very sheer, and does not reflect like gold. It may be a crisp linen or silk instead.

Image from National Galleries of Scotland, Madame de Canaples (Marie d'Assigny, 1502 - 58) [Art] Retrieved November 30, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://nationalgalleries.org/collections/artist_search.php?objectId=4764