Agnès Sorel at the Court of Charles VII

This engraving by Auguste Trichon, titled “Agnès Sorel at the Court of Charles VII,” depicts Agnès Sorel, the favorite of King Charles VII, in a fifteenth-century court interior. The scene highlights her influence over the sovereign, as well as the elegance and refinement of courtly life. Considered one of the first official royal mistresses in France, Agnès Sorel here embodies informal power and courtly intrigue. Published in Décembre and Alonnier’s illustrated popular dictionary, the image reflects the nineteenth-century taste for notable female figures in national history.