They also produced two French queens Catherine de Medici (15471589) and Marie de Medici (16001630). The visit prompted Caspar Barlaeus to write his Medicea hospes ("The Medicean Guest", 1638). Although Marie was beautiful, Henry wanted her onlyand I mean onlyfor her money. The painting Louis XIII Comes of Age represents the historical scene of the transferring of power from mother to son in abstract, or allegorical means. Even King Philip IV of Spain now refused to allow her to settle in the Netherlands. Her newest coup failed miserably, and Richelieu held onto his power, flicking Marie away like a gnat buzzing around his head. The House of Medici produced 4 popes Leo X (15131521), Clement VII (15231534), Pius IV (15591565) and Leo XI (1605). Behind Henry stands the personification of France, wearing a blue silk garment embroidered with gold fleur-de-lys (the coat of arms of the French monarchy) and an elaborate plumed helmet encircled by a gold crown. Famous Quotes Catherines own words are mostly found in her surviving letters. [105] In this painting, Louis XIII, represented as an adult, is depicted as Apollo. A member of the powerful House of Medici in the branch of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the wealth of her family caused Marie to be chosen by Henry IV to become his second wife after his divorce from his previous wife, Margaret of Valois. [118], The original commission for the Marie de' Medici cycle included a corresponding gallery illustrating the life of Henry IV that was never completed, although Rubens began work soon after he completed the Marie de' Medici cycle. Maria de'Medici, Queen of France , wife of King Henri IV. Her pride would not allow her to return to Tuscany as a rejected Queen and mother." However, the artist was also an avid collector of both reproductions and original works, not only from the masters of the Italian Renaissance, but more predominantly from his contemporaries. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. Now orphaned, Maria was considered the richest heiress in Europe.[7]. However, Marie undertook to cement the alliance with Spain and to ensure respect for the theses of the Council of Trent. Practically her first act as Regent was to seek vengeance on Henriette dEntragues, banishing the bitter mistress from her presence and her court. [35] The glowing halo around the infant's head should not be seen as a reference to Christian imagery; rather, it should be read according to imperial iconography which uses the halo as an indication of the Queen's divine nature and of her future reign. Although, surprisingly, Ruben's version is considered even less remarkable than the models. Why? [5] In a few years, Maria also lost two of her siblings, Philip (died 29 March 1582 aged 4) and Anna (died 19 February 1584 aged 14). [94] Rubens painted a scene of the event in a more heroic nature rather than showing the accuracy of realistic elements. The Queen-Mother's attempts to convince Pietro da Cortona and Guercino to travel to Paris ended in failure, but during the 1620s the Luxembourg Palace became one of the most active decorative projects in Europe: sculptors such as Guillaume Berthelot and Christophe Cochet, painters like Jean Monier or the young Philippe de Champaigne, and even Simon Vouet on his return to Paris, participated in the decoration of the apartments of the Queen-Mother. The scene is rich with symbolism highlighting her heroism and victory. In case youre wondering, yes, this absolutely made her more enemies. [42] Acting as more than just static symbols the figures portrayed take an active role in her education. Yet this only set the stage for further scandal. [39] It can be interpreted that the combined efforts of these divine teachers represent Marie's idyllic preparedness for the responsibilities she will obtain in the future, and the trials and tribulations she will face as Queen. WebTwelve years after these momentous affairs, Marie commissioned one of Europes most renowned artists, Peter Paul Rubens, to paint a series of 24 paintings about her life (today we refer to these as the Medici Cycle).These were designed to decorate the Luxembourg Palaceher enormous new residence in Paris. Rubens represented a putto taking the crown of Henry III, with the intention of placing it on the willing future Henry IV, although the actual transfer of power didn't occur until Henry III's assassination several months later (1 August 1589). In Rubens' depiction, however, the scissors necessary for this cutting are omitted, stressing the privileged and immortal character of the Queen's life. Rubens and his times. (Cupid has his arrow; Prudence carries a snake entwined around her arm to indicate serpent-like wisdom; Abundance also appears with her cornucopia, also a reference to the fruits of Marie's regency. She took refuge in the Chteau d'Angoulme and provoked an uprising against her son the King, the so-called "war of mother and son" (guerre de la mre et du fils). Marie subsequently traveled to Cologne, where she took refuge in a house loaned by her friend Pierre-Paul Rubens. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. As well see, Henriettes first true volley was a doozy. The marriage contract was signed in Paris in March 1600 and official ceremonies took place in Tuscany and France from October to December of the same year: the marriage by proxy took place at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (now Florence Cathedral) on 5 October 1600 with Henry IV's favorite the Duc de Bellegarde representing the French sovereign. In contrast, no model for the portrait of the Queen's father is known, although it is questioned if he used ideas from one from Paris that, in which he wanted to convey the authoritative appearance of historical figures. [71], Cupid and Juno bind two doves together over a split sphere in the painting as a symbol of peace and love. In June 1642, a bout of pleurisy hit her, and her whole life unraveledliterally. The marriage of Henry IV with Maria de' Medici represented above all, for France, a solution to dynastic and financial concerns: it was said that the French king "owed the bride's father, Francesco de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who had helped support his war effort, a whopping 1,174,000 cus and this was the only means Henry could find to pay back the debt"[8] In addition, the Medici familybanking creditors of the Kings of Francepromised a dowry of 600,000 cus d'or (2 million livres including 1 million paid in cash to cancel the debt contracted by France with the Medici bank),[9] which earned the future Queen the nickname "the big banker" (la grosse banquire) from her jealous rival, Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues, Henry IV's current matresse-en-titre. Bet she loved that. The 43-year-old Queen Mother of France escaped the Chateau by scaling a wall with a rope ladder, then dropped into the arms of waiting conspirators, who rushed her away to another castle. The day after Marie officially became Queen of France, her husband suffered a horrific fate. Her body was brought back to the Basilica of St Denis and buried without much ceremony on 8 March 1643, and her heart was sent to La Flche, in accordance with the wish of Henry IV who wanted their two hearts to be reunited. For example, the robes of two cardinals near the right edge. This matter is addressed very clearly in the video that precedes this essay (Harris and Zucker talking in front of the painting). Not only did he further establish and publicize his skill, but also the similarities that exist in his later works, such as stylistic components and themes, undeniably reflect the Medici series. [126] This painting corresponds to the Coronation painting in the Marie de' Medici cycle. "[87] They support this claim with a statement in Rubens's notes which indicates that "this theme holds no special reference to the particular reason of state of the French kingdom. However, the caduceus, which is seen in six other paintings in the cycle, has also been associated with peace and harmony. After her sister's marriage in 1584 with Vincenzo Gonzaga, heir of the Duchy of Mantua, and her departure to her husband's homeland, Maria's only playmate was her first cousin Virginio Orsini, to whom she deferred all her affection. [55] Rubens incorporates the traditional allegory of the cornucopia, which symbolizes abundance, to enhance the meaning of the painting by including the heads of Marie de' Medici's children who have yet to be born among the fruit. Those who attended the ceremony for Marie include Grand Duchess Cristina of Tuscany and Marie's sister Eleonora, Duchess of Mantua; and in entourage of Grand Duke are Roger de Bellegarde, Grand Esquire of France, and the Marquis de Sillery, who negotiated the marriage. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. After all, these royal women could bond over just how much Henry sucked, which I assume they frequently did. The tragedies of both her parents turned her into one of the wealthiest heiresses in Europe and, as she grew up, one of the most eligible bachelorettes on the marriage market. On the 19th and 20 October, in 1587, at the Villa Medici in Poggio a Caiano, Grand Duke Francesco I and Bianca Cappello died. 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. Henry obliges; his helmet and shieldnow the playthings of two tender cherubslie at his feet. [106] With the removal of the scales she carried in an earlier sketch that would have connected her to Louis XII, we are left with an entity who with no help from Louis, slays the adversary as he appears oblivious and unconcerned. [83], This particular painting in the Marie de' Medici Cycle is noteworthy for its uniqueness in execution. Marie commissioned paintings that truthfully followed the events of her life, and it was the job of Rubens to tactfully convey these images. The wall opposite the gallery's entrance presents an image of the assassination and assumption of Henry IV, as well as the proclamation of the widowed Marie's regency. Direct link to Jenni Roberts's post Why was Henry VI given a , Posted 6 years ago. The joining of the couple's right hands is a traditional symbol of the marriage union. 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. Below, Saturn raises Veritas to heaven which symbolizes truth being, "brought to the light", as well as the reconciliation between the Queen and her son. From there, the second half of Rubens' cycle begins addressing the more controversial issues from Marie's reign. [26], This painting is a representation of a historical event in the life of the Queen where the King and the Queen were crowned at the basilica of Saint-Denis in Paris. Reading from left to right, we see the cityscape with its single hill. [4] The contract stated that Rubens was to paint all the figures, which presumably allowed him to employ assistants for backgrounds and details.[5]. Upon her return, Marie focused on building and decorating the Luxembourg Palace, an enormous undertaking in which Peter Paul Rubens played a key role. As far as things went, Marie should have felt incredibly lucky to have escaped Concinis fate, but that didnt mean she was happy in her gilded cage. She wrote extensively, especially to her children and to other powerful European leaders. [6] She was also passionate about jewelry and precious stones. She and Henry IV finally met on 9 December and spent their wedding night together. She gently touches Henrys shoulder and whispers in his ear, assuring him that a match with the Medici princess is indeed good for the kingdom. Her visit to Amsterdam was considered a diplomatic triumph by the Dutch, as it lent official recognition to the newly-formed Dutch Republic; accordingly, she was given an elaborate ceremonial royal entry, of the sort the Republic avoided for its own rulers. She is framed by a triumphal arch and surrounded by people at the court. [79] The Queen is accompanied by a womanly embodiment of what was once thought to be, Fortitude because of the lion beside her. [63] The symbolism carried the message that she was charged with the guidance of the young, soon-to-be king.[63]. Has also been associated with peace and harmony a horrific fate 's reign Catherine of Aragon is now as. Considered the richest heiress in Europe. [ 7 ] robes of cardinals! The article title met on 9 December and spent their wedding night together how... 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