The Dauphin Charles-Orlant
Jean Hey·1494
Historical Context
Jean Hey painted this portrait of the Dauphin Charles-Orlant, son of King Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, around 1494. The young prince died in December 1495 at age three, making this one of the few records of his appearance. Hey, as court painter, created this intimate portrait that captures the fragility of Renaissance childhood and the dynastic hopes invested in a royal heir. This work belongs to the High Renaissance, when the innovations of the preceding century were synthesized into works of monumental clarity and ideal beauty.
Technical Analysis
Oil on panel with extraordinarily sensitive rendering of the child's delicate features. Hey's refined Flemish-influenced technique brings remarkable naturalism to this small-scale portrait.
