Anne de Pisseleu (1508–1576), Duchesse d'Étampes

Renowned for her brilliance and beauty, Anne de Pisseleu was the mistress of Francis I. She was introduced to the king at court in 1526 when she was seventeen. After his death in 1547, she was dismissed from court by the mistress of the succeeding king (Henry II) and died in obscurity. Here she wears a gold necklace and a pendant with her initial A and a pearl.