Agony in the Garden with donor Louis I of Orléans
Colart de Laon·1405
Historical Context
This Agony in the Garden with a donor portrait of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, attributed to Colart de Laon and dated around 1405, is now in the Museo del Prado. Colart de Laon was a court painter to Louis of Orléans, brother of the mad king Charles VI of France. Louis was assassinated in 1407 by agents of John the Fearless of Burgundy, sparking the Armagnac-Burgundian civil war. The painting reflects the refined International Gothic style of the French court.
Technical Analysis
The panel demonstrates the exquisite refinement of French court painting around 1400, with gold ground, delicate figure drawing, and the sophisticated color harmonies characteristic of the International Gothic in Paris.
