Corneille de Lyon

Provenance: private collection

In 16^th century France, the nobility was infatuated with portrait painting. It was perhaps the Clouets, who left behind a thousand or so portraits to the history...

Provenance: private collection

In 16^th century France, the nobility was infatuated with portrait painting. It was perhaps the Clouets, who left behind a thousand or so portraits to the history of art, who were the principle subjects of this enthusiasm but Corneille de Lyon, the painter at the court of the Valois, was just as popular. Portrait collections were often to be found in the homes of aristocrats, who were particularly devoted to them. Just like our Portrait of a man with a feathered cap and a black doublet, the best portrait not only had to depict its model as faithfully as possible, but it also had to exhibit all the subject’s qualities and virtues. It also allowed the people of the court to keep trace of members of the nobility that they may or may not have had the chance to encounter. We should also remember that portrayals of the monarchs of the time were considered as genuine symbols of the reigning power, to which one was obliged to show as much respect as one would a real person. Pierre de Bourdeille, seigneur de Brantôme, a great writer on the manners of the court of France during the Renaissance, owned a vast personal collection of portraits of the greatest aristocrats. The author shows an interest in this type of art as a way to describe the psychology of a well-known figure or to quote anecdotes about court life.

Corneille de Lyon’s paintings played a large part in the development of the taste for portraits during this era.  Our fine example, showing a man in his prime, features all the qualities and visual codes expected of the painter in the upper echelons of French Renaissance society. Our figure looks directly at the viewer, with his head barely turned three-quarters. The intention is to bestow an air of dignity and reserve upon the man since such virtues were particularly appreciated in a gentleman. Corneille de Lyon works attentively on developing the face, depicting the chromatic variations of the skin by adding a rosy hue. Owing to the glaze, the face has an almost transparent surface, as though it had been polished. The model’s elegance is rendered through his black cap with a slightly raised feather and his carefully trimmed beard. The clothes also bear witness to his undoubted wealth: the artist faithfully reproduces the black doublet and white shirt decorated with gold as well as the magnificent turned-down collar embellished with embroidery. As is often the case in Corneille de Lyon’s work, the painter prefers to show a more visible touch in his rendering of the clothes while remaining extremely precise in his description of the head.

Hence, the construction of a portrait involves a certain number of codes in an effort to suitably convince the audience. Corneille de Lyon possesses the skill to give his subject the most noble charm and grace. But the painter’s primary strength lies in his ability to depict all the subtleties composing the expression of a human face. The artist imbues his portraits with a vitality that extends beyond the artistic conventions of his era, thus continuing to attract the attention of the modern admirer.

circa 1500 The Hague - Lyon circa 1574


Corneille of Lyon or of the The Hague, owing to his Dutch origins, apparently came to work in Paris, before settling in Lyon, where his presence was recorded...