This captivating painting portrays Saint Clare, a 13th-century Italian nun known as 'the Illuminated One', engrossed in reading the Bible. She is bathed in light, symbolizing her spiritual purity and commitment to living a life devoid of material possessions. The artist, Joseph Désiré Court, chose not to depict her in traditional nun's habit but instead invented a medieval interpretation of her attire and hairstyle. This artwork was previously mistakenly identified as a portrait of Clémence de Vernède, Countess de Corneillan and Baroness de Pagès after her marriage in 1864.
