Directing the Image

Most patrons let the artist choose the symbols. Isabella did the opposite. She acted like a director, telling painters which objects, colors, and poses to use, and why.

That control was the point. By picking each element herself, she made sure the painting said exactly what she wanted to a specific audience — an ally, a rival, a future husband for her children. Her portraits were less a record of her face and more a message she had written in pictures.