Artists from Fontainebleau school created many semi-nudes portraits of courtly beauties and king's lovers, based on 'nude' Mona Lisa.
The motif of this painting is still unknown. Some consider that the blonde woman is in fact Gabrielle d'Estrees, mistress of French king Henry IV, and that the painting is an allusion of the birth of their son
Cesar. Besides Gabrielle the other woman portrayed should be her sister considering the likeness of both portraits. Another theory suggests that this is a 'twin' portrait of the same person.
|
 "Gabrielle Estrees and one of her Sisters")
