Artwork
A Knight of the Golden Fleece
A Knight of the Golden Fleece is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Jean Perréal. It dates from 1495 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1495, *A Knight of the Golden Fleece* is an oil painting on a panel of European walnut. The work presents a solitary figure in profile, rendered with the careful detail characteristic of the early Renaissance. Its modest dimensions and refined execution reflect the artist’s engagement with portraiture for elite patrons.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown wearing a black hat, a black tunic, and a vivid red cape, holding a wooden cane in his right hand. The combination of dark garments with the striking cape, together with the dignified pose, signals high social rank, likely a nobleman or senior court official, embodying the ideals of chivalric status.
Technique & Style
Perréal employed oil pigments on a walnut wood support, a choice that allowed for subtle gradations of tone and a luminous surface. The painting demonstrates an early use of chiaroscuro, modeling the facial features and drapery through light and shadow to achieve a three‑dimensional effect typical of late 15th‑century French portraiture.
History & Provenance
Jean Perréal, a French artist known for serving the royal court, executed the work during his mature period when he was active as a portraitist, architect, sculptor, and illuminator. Though the original patron is not recorded, the title and attire suggest a connection to the Order of the Golden Fleece, an elite chivalric order of the time.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Perréal (French pronunciation: ; c. 1455 – c. 1530), sometimes called Peréal, Johannes Parisienus or Jean De Paris, was a successful portraitist for French royalty in the first half of the 16th century, as well as…
