Light on the Secular Decoration of the Château d'Anet, Diane de Poitiers' Fief in Eure-et-Loir

Designed for the Château d'Ane t, probably at the request of the young king Henri II and very likely in 1547, the hangings illustrating "The Story of Diana" are one of the most outstanding sets of 16th-century French tapestries. Diane de Poitiers (1500-1566) is the main character. "The borders feature her initials, arms and mottos and, above all, she is objectively portrayed. Her features are easily recognizable in La Chasteté de Diane ( Diana's Chastity ) and La Mort de Britomartis ( The Drowning of Britomartis ): the goddess's face closely resembles the mistress', as seen in portraits now in the Musée Condé in Chantilly," says Dominique Cordellier. The curator at the Louvre Museum, along with art historians Cécile Scailliérez and Luisa Capodieci, French Renaissance literature specialist Paul-Victor Desarbres and stained glass expert Françoise Gatouillat, have written a fascinating investigation into the creators of the tapestries and glasswork in the hall and bedroom on the first floor of the Château d'Anet (Eure-et-Loir). They challenged a great many identifications and interpretations, which resulted in a clearer understanding of a sophisticated iconographic program and have provided convincing…