Enamelled portrait of Guigone de Sallins

Guigone de salins, great lady of the middle ages, married in 1421 the rich chancellor of duke philippe the good, nicolas rolin, with whom she created the famous hospices de beaune. This lay hospital will allow the cashless and disinherited patients to obtain care but also comfort and some form of consolation. Indeed, this palace of the poor quickly becomes a place where art takes its place. In addition to the coloured roofs, the painted vaults, the elaborate woodwork, chancellor rollin and guigone de salins commissioned a polyptic for the hospital chapel from the master of flemish painting rogier van der weyden in 1446. On the external panels, below a grey annunciation, chancellor rolin faces the devotee, dressed in the white hennin and the grey dress worn by the hospitals of beaune. This enamelled portrait accurately illustrates the greatness of guigone de salins' soul, capped by a delicate white hénin. The velvet softness of his ermine-enhanced coat at the collar is also treated here with great finesse.