Portrait of Catherine de Bourbon

Portrait of Catherine de Bourbon

Jan (Johannes) Wierix

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This portrait of Catherine de Bourbon, sister to King Henry IV of France, shows off the full splendor of Renaissance jewelry, in which pearls and gemstones played an important role. They feature in her tiara and earrings, as well as in the buttons and other adornments of her bodice. An elaborate chain necklace made of interlinked pendants inlaid with faceted gemstones and pearls drapes across her shoulders. Catherine’s relationship to the French crown is emphasized by the incorporation of the fleur-de-lis, and the piece is further customized with pendants consisting of four interlocking C’s made entirely of precious stones.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Portrait of Catherine de BourbonPortrait of Catherine de BourbonPortrait of Catherine de BourbonPortrait of Catherine de BourbonPortrait of Catherine de Bourbon

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.