Watermark: none visible through lining; on secondary support, a shield with a fleur-de-lis.
Formerly attributed to François Clouet, Tours before 1522-1572 Paris.
Clouet's original portrait of Catherine de Medici in mourning after the death of her husband Henri II in 1559, now in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, became the official portrait of the Queen Mother and inspired many subsequent versions and copies. The present sheet is one such later copy that perpetuated the image of Catherine. Alexandra Zvereva has suggested a tentative attribution of the sheet to Pierre Dumoustier the Elder (ca. 1545-1625), a skilled portraitist who was Peintre et valet du chamber to the Queen Mother in 1586. A version by Dumonstier based on Clouet's original is in the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF Est., Na 22 rés., boîte 4, no. 9). Morgan purchased this sheet and another attributed to Clouet (III, 65a) in 1907, before his acquisition of the Fairfax Murray collection of drawings in 1909.
Inscribed in graphite at upper right, "Catherine/de medicis/t4 1.3"
Clouet, François, -1572, After.
Currie, Philip, Sir, 1834-1906, former owner.
Harvey, Francis, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.