Artwork
Portrait of Jean d'Albon, seigneur de Saint-André (1472–1549)
Portrait of Jean d'Albon, seigneur de Saint-André (1472–1549) is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Corneille de Lyon. It dates from 1537 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Created in 1537, this small wooden panel portrays Jean d'Albon, seigneur de Saint‑André, a French noble of the early sixteenth century.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1537, this small wooden panel portrays Jean d'Albon, seigneur de Saint‑André, a French noble of the early sixteenth century. The sitter is rendered in a restrained pose, his gaze directed forward, set against a muted green backdrop that isolates the figure. The work exemplifies the intimate portraiture for which the artist is known, focusing attention on facial expression and attire.
Subject & Meaning
Jean d'Albon is shown wearing a black hat, a white coat edged with fur, and a black shirt, complemented by a gold necklace with a circular pendant. The solemn expression and direct eye contact convey the dignity and status expected of a high‑ranking courtier, while the modest scale suggests a private, perhaps commemorative, function.
Technique & Style
The painter employed a mannerist approach typical of his Lyon workshop, using fine brushwork to model the face and delicate handling of textures such as fur and metal. The limited palette—dark garments against a subdued green ground—enhances the three‑dimensionality of the figure and reflects the artist’s preference for intimate, low‑key compositions on wooden supports.
History & Provenance
Although the artist never signed his works, stylistic analysis and documentary evidence securely attribute this portrait to Corneille de Lyon, a Dutch‑born painter active in Lyon from the 1530s until his death in 1575. The panel has remained in private and public collections, documented in inventories of French noble households before entering a museum collection in the twentieth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Corneille de Lyon was a Dutch painter of portraits who was active in Lyon, France, from 1533 until his death. In France and the Netherlands he is also still known as Corneille de La Haye after his birthplace, The Hague.
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