The Purple Line

A criminological journey that uses a painting to open a door on the past. Two noblewomen stand naked in a bath. The lady on the left holds the other one’s nipple. This sixteenth-century portrait has fascinated generations of art lovers and is one of the most famous paintings in the Louvre, but little is known of its provenance or meaning. The lady on the left is Gabrielle d’Estrees, Duchess of Beaufort and lover of King Henry IV of France, who intended to marry her. In all other respects the painting is a mystery, with even the identity of the artist unknown. Andreas Michelis, a young lecturer in American literature, follows the trail left by the painting and discovers a terrible secret. Gabrielle died suddenly, just before she was due to marry King Henry. She was heavily pregnant at the time.

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