Painting Gabriel d’Estre with his sister
Framed in red draperies, Gabriel d’Estre and Sister depicts two young women bathing in a bathtub. One of them (on the right) holds a ring – a pledge of fidelity. This is the favorite of King Henry IV, Gabrielle d’Estre. To her left is her sister, who coyly, with two fingers, holds the nipple of Gabrielle’s breast. Perhaps this gesture is an allusion to the future pregnancy of the king’s beloved. Gabrielle d’Este gave birth to three children from Heinrich. She was beautiful and smart, but there were ill-wishers at court who poisoned her at the age of 26. The painting was acquired by the Louvre in 1937.