Florentine School, 17th Century

The daughter of Charles III of Lorraine and Claude of Valois and grandaughter of Catherine de' Medici, Christine of Lorraine (1565-1637) married Grand Duke Ferdinando de' Medici in 1589. After the death of her son, Cosimo II in 1621, Christine served as co-Regent of Tuscany. This portrait exists in several versions, the most notable of which are those by Scipione Pulzone (Florence, Uffizi), dated 1590, which may be the prototype, and by Santi di Tito (Siena, Palazzo Publico). All follow the same format with the Grand Duchess standing next to the crown of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, however; variations in the present portrait suggest that it is an independent work rather than a copy.