Portrait of the Dauphin Francis, Son of Francis I

This portrait of the Dauphin Francis, eldest son of King Francis I, was painted around 1538, two years after the young prince's sudden death in 1536—possibly by poisoning. Corneille de Lyon's royal portraits served both as personal mementos and as elements in the complex diplomacy of the French court, where images of the royal family were exchanged as gifts. Characteristic of Lyon's approach, the work displays small-scale portraits on wood or parchment, blue-green or red grounds, intimate psychological likeness.

The young prince is depicted with the refinement expected of royal portraiture, though within Corneille's characteristically intimate scale. Precise facial modeling captures the youth of the sitter with sensitivity and delicacy.