It is believed that the original painting mentioned in the letter depicting Marie's departure from Paris was rejected in favor of The Felicity of the Regency due to the more innocuous subject matter of the latter. Yves-Marie Berc, "The blows of majesty of the kings of France, 1588, 1617, 1661", in: Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland, Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues, War of Succession over the United Duchies of Jlich-Cleves-Berg, Armand Jean du Plessis (later Cardinal Richelieu), Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Mara Osorio y Pimentel, 2nd Marquise of Villafranca del Bierzo, Henry IV of France's wives and mistresses, "Fanny Cosandey: The Queen of France in modern times", "MARIE DE MDICIS (1573-1642) queen of France", "Concino Concini, marquis d'Ancre | Italian diplomat", "Walters Ms. W.494, Lace Book of Marie de' Medici", "The Medici Granducal Archive and the Medici Archive Project", "Habsburg, Johanna von Oesterreich (Tochter des Kaisers Ferdinand I. Marie de' Medici became the second wife to King Henry IV of France in a marriage by proxy on 5 October 1600 by the power invested in her uncle, Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany. As the former Queen Mother aged and traveled around the continent semi-homeless, her artistic connections helped her once more. In The Consignment of the Regency, Henry IV entrusts Marie with both the regency of France and the care of the dauphin shortly before his war campaigns and eventual death. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. [70] All these and more, combine to make a persuasive argument and show a certain artistically respectful nod from Rubens to Caravaggio as two contemporaries of the time. While Marie gazes adoringly at her son, Fecundity presses the cornucopia to her arm, representing the complete and bountiful family to come. Also present in each are objets importants: rudder, globe, and rosaries. There is alot of information on the King, Marie de medici, the whole family. Buckle up: This is one Medici who made good on her villainous name. Although originally started but may or may not have been finished in Rome, Caravaggio's Madonna of the Rosary may well have been an artistic influence on Rubens for the Proclamation of the Regency side of this painting, as the two works are highly corresponding in their presentation. The portrait of the Queen's father, Francesco I, is on the right and faces the passageway towards Marie de' Medici's private chambers. [22] From there, she fled on 19 July 1631 towards the city of trungt (in the County of Hainaut), where she slept before going to Brussels. However, the Queen Mother was not satisfied and relaunched the war by rallying the great nobles of the Kingdom to her cause ("second war of mother and son"). By representing Marie as Juno, implying Henry as Jupiter, the king is seen domesticated by marriage. Marie de Medici was the Queen of France and Henry IVs second wife. The English statesman Ralph Winwood also described her as of a comely stature, and with a natural grace. Wikipedia. [53] The word dauphin is French for dolphin, a term associated with princely royalty. [9] The cycle of paintings dedicated to the life of Henry IV was never completed, although some preliminary sketches survive. In October 1600, Marie and Henry marriedandthe ceremony was bizarre in more ways than one. [17] At first, she kept the closest advisers of Henry IV in the key court positions and took for herself (1611) the title of Governess of the Bastille, although she entrusted the physical custody of this important Parisian fortress to Joachim de Chateauvieux, her knight of honor, who took direct command as a lieutenant of the Queen-Regent. It reads, I believe I wrote you that a picture was removed which depicted the Queen's departure from Paris and that, in its place, I did an entirely new one which shows the flowing of the Kingdom of France, with the revival of the sciences and the arts through the liberality and the splendour of Her Majesty, who sits upon a shining throne and holds a scale in her hands, keeping the world in equilibrium by her prudence and equity. She does not express any hardships she had gone through by the escape. [43] Rubens had a way of depicting France that was very versatile in gender in many of his paintings in the cycle. They also produced two French queens Catherine de Medici (15471589) and Marie de Medici (16001630). From practically the moment she was born in 1575, Marie de Medici didnt mess around. In Rubens' depiction, however, the scissors necessary for this cutting are omitted, stressing the privileged and immortal character of the Queen's life. The boy, named Louis, and automatically upon birth heir to the throne and Dauphin of France, was born to the great satisfaction of the King and France, which had been waiting for the birth of a Dauphin for more than forty years. "[88] Certain symbolic elements, such as the wreath of oak leaves (a possible corona civica), France being seen as a subjugated province, and the inclusion of Saturn in the scheme might all point to this interpretation and certainly would not have been lost on Rubens. Heck yes she did. See, Henrys philandering actually caused huge dynastic worries. Physically, he had a massive stutter and, somewhat alarmingly, a congenital double row of teeth. WebIf Marie de Medici wasnt the most obedient wife, she wasnt the most caring mother, either. The codex includes 3 full-size illuminations, 42 full-page miniatures, countless historiated or golden initials, and borders feature Flemish and Italianate flowers. The Queen of France might have liked art, but she loved herself. The French were still not pleased with his choosing an Italian wife. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. [38], To fully appreciate and value this particular cycle piece and the collection as a whole, there is one historical principle to take into account. However, Marie undertook to cement the alliance with Spain and to ensure respect for the theses of the Council of Trent. The Queen stands in a dignified manner, suggesting her poise in times of disarray, amongst a chaotic crowd of handmaidens and soldiers. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Although Louis was supposed to be Maries Golden Child, it didnt take long for courtiers to notice that something was seriously amiss with the boy. [105] In this painting, Louis XIII, represented as an adult, is depicted as Apollo. Rubens deliberate vagueness would be consistent with his practice of generalizing and allegorizing historical facts especially in a painting about peace and reconciliation. [3][4] She was a descendant of Lorenzo the Elder a branch of the Medici family sometimes referred to as the 'cadet' branch through his daughter Lucrezia de' Medici, and was also a Habsburg through her mother, who was a direct descendant of Joanna of Castile and Philip I of Castile. Her eldest daughter Elisabeth became the Queen of Spain, while her youngest girl Henrietta Maria became the Queen of England. Quotes from others about the person "England had rejected her. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. 27. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. Saturn has his sickle and is personified as Time here guiding France forward. Still, her end came quick and tragic. [18] Rubens's studies of classical, Greek, and Latin texts influenced his career and set him apart from other painters during his time. Leonora had so much influence over the young girl, Marie often refused to make decisions without her. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Rubens's Arrival (or Disembarkation) of Marie de Medici at Marseilles, Medici Cycle, Marie de' Medici cycle by Peter Paul Rubens, Rubens cycle of paintings apotheosizing Marie de Medici, Self-Portrait in a Circle of Friends from Mantua, The Gonzaga Family in Adoration of the Holy Trinity, Portrait of Marchesa Brigida Spinola-Doria, Portrait of a Noblewoman with an Attendant, Portrait of Giovanni Carlo Doria on Horseback, The Head of Saint John the Baptist Presented to Salome, Saint Teresa of vila's Vision of the Holy Spirit, Ixion, King of the Lapiths, Deceived by Juno, Who He Wished to Seduce, The Virgin and Child Surrounded by the Holy Innocents, Erichthonius Discovered by the Daughters of Cecrops, The Meeting Between Abraham and Melchizedek, Saints Dominic and Francis Saving the World from Christ's Anger, The Virgin Mary and Saint Francis Saving the World from Christ's Anger, Diana and Her Nymphs Leaving for the Hunt, Christ Appointing Saint Roch as Patron Saint of Plague Victims, Portrait of Infante Isabella Clara Eugenia, Portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, The Triumphal Entry of Henry IV into Paris, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marie_de%27_Medici_cycle&oldid=1117913311, Paintings in the Louvre by Dutch, Flemish and German artists, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 October 2022, at 06:19. Here France takes on an androgynous role being both woman and man at the same time. When Rubens was commissioned to paint the Marie de' Medici cycle, he was quite possibly the most famous and skilled artist in Northern Europe, and was especially appreciated for his monumental religious works, commissioned by various councils and churches in the area. Louis looks upwards to his mother for guidance on how to steer the ship of state. [41] The painting displays an embellished Baroque collaboration of the spiritual and earthly relationships, which are illustrated in a theatrical environment. Her marriage with King Henry IV enabled him to pay off his debts with the huge dowry that he Moreover, they are considered to be far from "likenesses" of either sitter. WebMarie de Mdicis, Italian Maria de Medici, (born April 26, 1573, Florence [Italy]died July 3, 1642, Cologne [Germany]), queen consort of King Henry IV of France (reigned 15891610) and, from 1610 to 1614, regent for her son, King Louis XIII (reigned 161043). You will fare better without it. After the "Day of the Dupes" (Journe des Dupes) of 1011 November 1630, Richelieu remained the principal minister, and the Queen Mother was constrained to be reconciled with him. INV 1710 In 1532, the family gained the hereditary title of Duke of Florence. It represents the conduct of the Queen and the great care with which she oversees her Kingdom during her Regency. This genera of writing is called the Panegyric. [11] At this time, women did not in general receive such laudatory tributes, although Rubens, if anyone, was well equipped for the job, having a great respect for "the virtues of the opposite sex", as seen in his commissions for the Archduchess Isabella. Rubens followed this structure in his series of paintings about Marie de' Medici. [78] Being a crossing of Rur, Juliers was of great strategic importance for France and thus the French victory was chosen to be the glorious subject of Rubens' painting. [123] Richelieu's true motivations were most likely political. The ambiguity of the figures was essentially used to depict Marie in a positive light. In those times an heir was of the utmost importance, especially if Henry wanted to showcase his masculinity and discontinue with the pattern of the royal reproductive failure. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. He creates equality between all of the figures in the painting by cleverly balancing corporeal and ethereal space.[43]. [24] There is an additional claim that Marie had envisioned these paintings to be studied alternately, left to right, so the thoughtful viewer would have had to crisscross down the gallery. [23], Jules Michelet also contributed to the denigration of Marie de Mdicis.[24]. King Henry IV was able to pay off his debts thanks to her marriage and the large dowry he When Henry was assassinated in 1610, Louis XIII, his son and successor to the throne, was only eight years old. Aware that he could not avoid the formation of plots as long as his mother remained in exile, the King accepted her return to court. He praised her sweet and pleasing carriageand immediately took her to bed, natch. Just weeks after Marie gave birth to an heir of France, she received a brutal blow. She wrote extensively, especially to her children and to other powerful European leaders. These spats were disruptive, but there were other things going on in the broken home. Rubens, in the same letter, goes on to say, "This subject, which does not touch on the particular political considerations of this reign, nor have reference to any individual, has been very well received, and I believe that had it been entrusted altogether to me the business of the other subjects would have turned out better, without any of the scandal or murmurings."[91]. Less understandably, she directed all her anger at Marie, and made it her business to destroy her happiness. Well then, off to a great start. [78] The Queen thrusts her arm high with an assembler's baton in hand. [82] With the death of son Louis' court favorite, Charles d'Albert de Luynes, mother and son reconcile. [116] The two portraits are stylistically very different, and even out of place, from the rest of the paintings in the gallery. The painting is separated into two distinct, but related scenes: the elevation of Henry IV to the heavens (his assassination on 14 May 1610 resulted in the immediate declaration of Marie as regent[65]) and the assumption of Marie to the crown. WebSourced quotations by the French Monarch Catherine de' Medici (1519 1589). When Henry III was also ostracized from Paris for initiating the murder of the duke of Guise, he met with Henry of Navarre to make peace and recognize him as rightful heir. This gesture would usually be shared among male companions, telling each other's secret. [11] Rather, implications of political scandal in her life made any literal depiction of the events far too controversial for Rubens to execute without incurring the disapproval from others in government. Eventually, she found a hugely bombastic way to marry her two biggest passions. The representations are accompanied by their traditional attributes. Force, extending her oar and heaving to, is identified by the shield just beneath her showing a lion and column. In Rubens's painting, Minerva, Prudence, Divine Providence and France; in the Caravaggio, St Dominic, St Peter the Martyr, and a pair of Dominican friars. The lower half of the painting is dominated by imagery of Lyons. But the queen didnt pay her bills on time and Rubens had a lot of trouble collecting his due. The Medici Fountain was built in 1630 by Marie de Medici. [8] The paintings are now displayed in the same order in the Louvre. It is highly unlikely that Rubens actually had such a pronounced presence in this scene when it took place. During this time, the Protestants obtained a reprieve of six years to the return of their places of safety to the royal power. Because it was a marriage by proxy, a common practice of the time where either the bride, groom, or both arent actually present, Marie had still never met King Henry at the moment he became her official husband. Set within a grand Italian-style architectural setting, the theme is somewhat sobering. And whatever Marie wants, Marie gets. C.W. The Duke of Nevers then took the leadership of the nobility in revolt against the Queen. Thuillier, Jacques. The fact that the Henry IV series was not realized can be attributed in part to Marie de' Medici being permanently banned from France by her son in 1631. The efficacy of the form is lost in order to ensure Marie's representation in a positive light. The Princess of Conti and the Duchess of Montpensier (mother of her future daughter in law) carry the train of the royal mantle. There was a procession led by two mounted trumpeters, and a large temporary structure was erected on an artificial island in the Amstel River especially for the festival. Marie had clung to power past the end of her regency, until Louis seized power in 1617 and exiled her to Blois. Practically her first act as Regent was to seek vengeance on Henriette dEntragues, banishing the bitter mistress from her presence and her court. Throughout her life, Marie de Medici developed a kind of unofficial ex-wives club with Margaret of Valois, the first wife of her late husband King Henry IV. A first treaty, the Treaty of Angoulme, negotiated by Richelieu, calmed the conflict. On the day Marie accepted Henrys hand, she probably knew the French king didnt possess her own ample treasury, yet the gruesome reality of the situation shocked her. Rubens thus turned to mythological allusions, emblematic references, personifications of vices and virtues and religious analogies to veil an often unheroic or ambiguous reality. He excluded the traditional 16th Century hieratic poise for a relaxed interpretation, where she wears regularized drapery and Rubens adorns her in that of the state of always being sick and weak. Hmm, wonder why Marie turned out so dysfunctional. Rubens has again, turned something ordinary into something of unprecedented magnificence. [30], The price of Marie de' Medici Cycle was roughly 24,000 guilders for the 292 square meters, which calculates to about 82 guilders, or 1,512 dollars, per square meter.[31]. The structure was designed to display a series of dramatic tableaux in tribute to her once she set foot on the floating island and entered its pavilion. Spain with a recognizable symbol of a lion on her helmet is on the left, whereas France, with fleur-de-lis decorating her drapery, is on the right. However, Henry IV of Navarre was not a rich man and needed Marie's money. As in other scenes in the Medici Cycle, Rubens includes a mythological element: the ancient god of marriage, Hymenaios wearing a crown of roses, carries the bride's train in one hand and the nuptial torch in the other. The portrait of the Queen's mother, Johanna of Austria, is on the left at the place where visitors enter. Marie might have been grieving, but she wasnt motherless for long. Shots. [21] This record of visual history and the influences of his contemporaries, some who became lifelong friends of Rubens, would make an imprint on his art throughout his entire life.[22]. Maries appreciation of the visual arts ran deep, and she also dabbled in the medium herself. The cycle began at the entrance wall, featuring images of Marie's childhood years and her marriage to Henry IV. It was an Oedipal nightmareso is it any wonder Louis bit back? 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