Charles the Bold, 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, Charles the Bold can be recognised by the inscription ‘Carolus audax dux Burgundiae’. The sitter is dressed as the Grand Master of the Order of the Golden Flece: wearing a chaperon, a full-length garment and a crimson velvet cloak with a white satin lining. The most well-known portraits of Charles the Bold (for example, those in the Museum of Fine Arts of Dijon) portray him dressed as a warrior. The precise model for this portrait is unknown.