Lorenzo, son of Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici and nephew of Lorenzo the Magnificent, was born in Florence in 1492. He obtained the title of duke from Pope Leo X and he had three children with Maddalena de la Tour d’Auvergne: one of them was Caterina..

Michelangelo Buonarroti made a marble (Carrara’s famous marble) sculpture for Lorenzo de’ Medici, representing him with a thoughtful look and the traits of a Greek hero; he’s also wearing an armor which resembles those worn by Roman legionaries. Under the sculpture, there are two other statues which stand for Dusk and Dawn; they both have unstable poses and look like they are going to fall off. Lorenzo’s face is similar to Saturn’s facies nigra, which is a melancholic condition that makes the skin turn livid.

Caterina de’ Medici was born in 1519, daughter of Lorenzo de’ Medici duke of Urbino; not even a month old, she lost both her parents. Pope Clement VII, her uncle, took care of her and taught her everything he knew about politics. In 1533, she married Henry of Valois, future king of France as Henry II; after his death, she ruled France for thirty years, before dying in 1589.

In this portrait made by Corneille de Lyon, she’s represented in ¾, with the body facing left and a serene expression on her face. Her dress is black and white, adorned with pearls and jewels; the kind of headdress she’s wearing was initially introduced into the French courts by the English Tudor dynasty. The shadows are carefully depicted to emphasise the most detailed parts which are her face and her hair.

It is considered to be the painting with the most faithful representation of Caterina de’ Medici.