Artwork
Portrait of Charles the Bold (1433-1477 ), Duke of Burgundy
Portrait of Charles the Bold (1433-1477 ), Duke of Burgundy is an oil painting. It dates from 1460 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is an oil painting portraying Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433–1477).
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433–1477), depicted in a three-quarter view typical of Burgundian court portraiture of the 1460s.
The sitter is Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433–1477), depicted in a three-quarter view typical of Burgundian court portraiture of the 1460s. The small oak panel format and restrained color palette align with Northern European conventions for conveying status and authority through sober presentation rather than elaborate regalia.
The work’s iconography emphasizes rank and lineage: the subject’s direct gaze and the sober dignity of his attire signal the political gravitas expected in Burgundian court culture. As a painted effigy intended for circulation within elite networks, the image functioned as a symbolic stand-in for the absent ruler, reinforcing dynastic presence and continuity.
Technique & Style
Created in 1460, this anonymous portrait of Charles the Bold is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 31 cm by 31 cm, forming a square composition that focuses tightly on the subject. Originating from the Southern Netherlands, the painting is classified as a portrait genre piece.
It currently resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it has been displayed in exhibitions such as 'Bourgondische pracht'. The formal presentation emphasizes the sitter's identity through the direct medium of oil on panel, typical of the period's portraiture.
History & Provenance
Created in 1460 within the Southern Netherlands, this anonymous oil painting on panel depicts Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The work measures 31 by 31 centimeters. While the specific original commissioner and the immediate ownership chain following its creation are not detailed in the available records, the painting eventually entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
It has been featured in exhibitions such as "Bourgondische pracht," highlighting its significance within the context of Burgundian art history.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, located in the Netherlands. Created around 1460, the oil painting on panel depicts Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The work has been featured in the exhibition titled "Bourgondische pracht."
Physical records indicate the panel measures 31 cm in height and 31 cm in width. The piece is classified as an anonymous work originating from the Southern Netherlands.
Overview
The work is an oil painting portraying Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1433–1477). The figure stands before a dark, plain wall with a tiled floor, dressed in a vivid red robe edged in white, topped by a matching red hat. He holds an object in his right hand and looks toward his left, while a heraldic shield with a crown and cross is displayed on the wall behind him.
Context
Created during a period when Burgundian dukes asserted their independence from both France and the Holy Roman Empire, the portrait reflects the court’s emphasis on visual propaganda. The inclusion of heraldic symbols aligns with the era’s practice of reinforcing noble identity through art, situating the painting within the broader tradition of courtly portraiture in the Low Countries.
Artist & collection
Albrecht the Bold, son of Friedrich II., died 1500
Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap
Kurfürst Friedrich I. der Siegreiche
Portrait of Maximilian I (1459-1519)
Herzog Karl der Kühne (1433-1477) von Burgund
Portrait of a Man Wearing the Order of the Annunziata of Savoy
Herzog Philipp der Kühne (1342-1404) von Burgund im Profil
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of King John I of Portugal
