
ISABEL DE VALOIS
These first two images are included for the sake of chonology, they appear to have been from her time in France. The first image is highly reminiscent of the extant gown in Karl Kohler's History of Costume.
This is my favourite Spanish dress of all time, so much so I am recreating it as I create this site. It may have been her favourite, or the favourite of her relations as she is portrayed in the same peral knots in the monument to Carlos V., sculpted between 1592-98.
The black and white images show that the gown is indeed the same as in the sculpture. If you look at the lines of the bodice, you see the same pattern.
Aparetntly this orange/tawny gown was a popular one for artists to copy. The original may well be the one by Antonis Mor (seen in the detail images) as it is the most highly detailed and perhaps most photo realistic. It is was even copied and inscribed as being a portrait of another woman.
This portrait of Isabella/Isabel/Elizabeth is often attributed to Sofonisba Anguissola, however it is a copy. There may be subtle differences between the original which is perhaps the full length image below*, and as there exsist wonderful detailed images, it remains here for study. If you click the last image it will take you to a page showing detail images.
Finally one more portrait by Sofonisba Anguissola. The date suggests this is of her daughter, but the features are clearly Isabella herself. Perhaps this was painted after her death as a tribute. The style is very very clearly of Isabella's time when you compare it to portraits of her daughters.
* This was taken from a site that no longer hosts the image. It is however an interesting image, and as soon as I find another link I'll remove the image from my site and link to that instead.
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