Isabella of Bourbon, Countess of Charolais

Isabella of Bourbon, Countess of Charolais (1434-1465) was the second wife of Charles the Bold, Count of Charolais and future Duke of Burgundy.

The work belonged to a series of at least eight portraits, depicting the four dukes of the second house of Burgundy and their respective wives. The Museo del Prado keeps four portraits from this series: Margaret III (P006719) Countess of Flanders and wife of Philip the Bold; Margaret of Bavaria (P006721), Duchess of Burgundy and wife of John the Fearless; and the couple Isabella of Bourbon and Charles the Bold (P006718; P006721). Evidently, the third generation of dukes, originally represented by the portraits of Philip the Good and Isabella of Portugal, is missing. Judging by the position of the sitters (the man faces to the right and the women to the left), we can assume that the series was intended to be exhibited in pairs. During the 16th and 17th centuries, galleries displaying portraits of distinguished personalities achieved considerable success and were often found in both noble and religious establishments, thus ensuring the preservation of the of the sitters in memory.

In this portrait, Isabella of Bourbon can be recognised by the inscription ‘Isabella de Bourbon ducissa Burgo’. The sitter is wearing a hennin in the shape of a truncated cone, a headdress that was fashionable in the mid-15th century at the court of Burgundy and at other European courts. This is the most widely known effigy of the duchess, and it has been copied on numerous occasions. Apparently, the prototype of this portrait has its origins in manuscript No. 1612 of the Royal Library of Denmark, which consists of a book of hours where Isabella de Bourbon is portrayed praying with her husband, the Duke of Burgundy.