Judging by the fact that in 1571 Clouet was summoned to the Mint in Paris to assess how well the image on a coin resembled to the monarch, his portraits of Charles IX (r. 1563-74) were considered exemplary. This drawing was made in preparation for a portrait now in the Hôtel d'Assézat, in Toulouse. It shows the king as a young man, a few years before the infamous St Bartholomew's Day Massacre. (August 24/25, 1572). which was the chief event of his reign.
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