Louis IX and Blanche of Castile

This miniature shows Louis IX (St. Louis), portrayed as a young boy, sitting opposite his mother, Blanche of Castile. Blanche served as regent twice in Louis’s lifetime, once when he was too young to rule and a second time when he was away on crusade. The emphasis on the equality of queen and king may be evidence of Blanche’s influence on and patronage of the artist. (Detail from Moralized Bible, France, c. 1230. MS. M. 240, F.8. The Pierpont Morgan Library / Art Resource, NY.)