Frans Pourbus the Younger (Antwerp, Flanders, 1569 – Paris, France, 1622)

Born in Antwerp in 1569, Frans Pourbus the Younger was the son of Frans Pourbus the Elder and grandson of Pieter Pourbus, both renowned painters of their time.
He grew up and trained in a rich and refined artistic environment, where he learned the fundamentals of Flemish painting.
Between 1591 and 1592, he was admitted as a master to the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp.

At the beginning of his career, he worked in Brussels at the court of Archdukes Albert and Isabella. There, he gained recognition for his skill in portraiture, a genre that became the core of his artistic production.

In 1600, he was invited to Mantua by Vincenzo I Gonzaga, who had met him during a trip to the Netherlands. Pourbus moved to the Gonzaga court, where he worked until 1609.

A few years later, at the invitation of Maria de’ Medici—Queen of France and sister of Eleonora de’ Medici, Duchess of Mantua—he settled in Paris. There, he became the official painter of the French court, producing numerous portraits of Henry IV and Louis XIII. In 1618, he was granted French citizenship.

Pourbus specialized in official portraits, often full-length, characterized by meticulous attention to detail, especially in clothing, jewelry, and fabrics.

His works are now housed in major international museums, including the Louvre, the Prado, the Rijksmuseum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Frans Pourbus the Younger died in Paris in 1622.

Photo UniCredit Group (Sebastiano Pellion di Persano)