Valentine of Milan Mourning her Husband, the Duke of Orléans

This is the first notable picture of the artist. It was remarkable for showing a significant historical figure in a moment of private emotion. Her lament is for lost love, but could equally be for the lost past. Richard had been inspired by the inscription on Valentine’s monument, ‘Naught is left me, I am myself naught’, and he took Valentine’s costume from the same source, placing her in a Gothic interior before a stained-glass window whose light is veiled by a green curtain. The picture’s intense effect was enhanced by its small size, which set it apart from conventionally monumental historical compositions.