Virgin surrounded by seraphim and cherubim

This work shows the virgin Mary as a heavenly queen with the child Jesus on her lap. They sit on a richly decorated throne supported by cherubs and seraphim. Probably this is the portrait of Agnes Sorel the beloved of Charles VII. She is very fashionably dressed. The high shaved hair and the ermine coat indicate her first name. The constricted waist emphasizes the slightly loosened lapel, revealing the full breast and giving it a slightly erotic tint. The scene is unreal: the milky-white skin of Mary and Jesus contrasts with the bright red and blue angels. The artwork forms the right panel of the so-called Melundipie. The French court painter Jean Fouquet painted this on behalf of Etienne Chevalier treasurer of the French king and husband of Catherine Budé. The work hung above her tomb in the Notre Dame of Melun. The left wing (Gemäldegalerie Berlin) shows Etienne Chevalier with his patron saint Saint Stefan.