Portrait of Charlotte of France

Jean Clouet the Younger · c. 1522

Princess Charlotte was the daughter of King Francis I of France, whose court was an international center for the arts. Her rich clothing and jeweled cap show her high status. Her rosary indicates that she was a devout Catholic. She was about seven years old at the time of this portrait, and she died at the age of eight. European royal families commissioned portraits of their children to record their development and often exchanged these pictures with other royal houses as a diplomatic gesture.