In the second half of the 16th century, France was divided by political tension and even violent combat between Catholics and Protestants. Admiral Coligny (1519-1572) was a Huguenot, a member of the Protestant sect that the Catholic monarchy was trying to suppress. A few years after this portrait, in 1572, he would be assassinated, having been betrayed by one of his Huguenot colleagues. When this portrait was painted, he was already aware that his life was in danger, but his sense of honor and religious faith inspired him to continue the fight.
