Henry II (1519–1559), King of France

Francois Clouet's portrait of Henry II, King of France, painted in 1536, depicts the future monarch while still dauphin (he would succeed his father Francis I in 1547). Clouet, who inherited the position of court painter from his father Jean Clouet, dominated French portrait painting for decades. His elegant, precise style defined the image of the Valois court, combining Italian influences with the native French tradition of refined, aristocratic portraiture.

Clouet's oil technique, originally on wood and later transferred to canvas, achieves the enamel-like smoothness characteristic of French court portraiture. The face is modeled with extraordinary precision and minimal visible brushwork, while the costume is rendered with meticulous attention to the rich fabrics of the French court.