[52] The birth of the first male heir brings a sense of security to the royal family that they will continue to rule. On the left, Jupiter and Saturn are shown welcoming the assassinated King of France, as he ascends as a personified Roman sovereign, victoriously to Olympus. Kiera Cass. As one of her first acts, Marie reconfirmed Henri IV's Edict of Nantes, which ordered religious tolerance for Protestants in France while asserting the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church. One year after the end of the Estates General, a new rebellion of the Prince of Cond allowed his entry into the Conseil du Roi by the Treaty of Loudun (3 May 1616), which also granted him the sum of 1,500,000 livres and the government of Guyenne. [92] Marie has reigned as regent during her son's youth, and now she has handed the rudder of the ship to Louis, the new king of France. Peter Paul Rubens had already established himself as an exceptional painter and also had the advantage of sustaining close ties with several important people of the time, including Marie de' Medici's sister, the wife of one of Rubens's first important patrons, the Duke of Gonzaga. What is also known as a parade boat, Rubens referencing Horace's boat, is adorned with a dragon on front and dolphins on the stern. The paintings of each gallery would have been exhibited as an integrated pair, unifying all forty-eight scenes.[120]. [18] Rubens's studies of classical, Greek, and Latin texts influenced his career and set him apart from other painters during his time. This antagonism benefited the court, which soon pronounced the closure of the Estates General. Still, her end came quick and tragic. [4] The contract stated that Rubens was to paint all the figures, which presumably allowed him to employ assistants for backgrounds and details.[5]. Somehow, though, she would wait 13 long years to find a manand her relationship woes might not be for the reason youd think. The Queen Marie is depicted in a humble way, yet the illustration implies her power over the military. For example, both the altercation and reconciliation with her son Louis XIII are subjects Marie de' Medici commissioned Rubens to paint for this gallery. In late February 1619, Marie had enough of sitting pretty in some faraway palace. And that wasnt all. Rubens obviously would have known this and so chose to ignore the tension surrounding Marie's relationship with her son, instead emphasizing her poise in the transfer of power. After the death of the Duc de Luynes in December 1621, she gradually made her political comeback. I would expect nothing less. [71], Cupid and Juno bind two doves together over a split sphere in the painting as a symbol of peace and love. Although King Louis XIII kept on trouncing his mother and her men on the battlefield in these uprisings, Marie was not a woman to accept defeat. 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. The effect of the two groups of figures is meant to stress the gap between the two sides. The following 48 files are in this category, out of 48 total. She is conducted to the altar by the Cardinals Gondi and de Sourdis, who stand with her along with Mesieurs de Souvrt and de Bethune. [95], In The Negotiations at Angoulme, Marie de' Medici genially takes the olive branch from Mercury, the messenger god, in the presence of both of her priests, as she gives her consent to have discussions with her son concerning her clash to his governmental direction. Henry's action and setting (the buildings and a triumphal arch) were not really possible in Paris at this time, reassuring that the scene is not based on historical fact, but a classical metaphor and Henry's goal of remaining King of France. [67] This particular theme, within the painting as a whole, has found other great masters receiving inspiration and fascination from Rubens' tormented figure of Bellona, the goddess of War, who lays disarmed below. Specifically, the statues of Fracesco and Ferdinando de Medici. Upon her return, Marie focused on building and decorating the Luxembourg Palace, an enormous undertaking in which Peter Paul Rubens played a key role. Very devout, she was known to keep an open mind, and to depend on those around her for support. Millen & Wolf pp.220-221. All of the paintings have the same height although they vary in width in order to fit the shape of the room they were intended for. In 1578, when Marie was just three years old, her heavily pregnant mother Joanna fell down a flight of stairs, accidentally killing herself and her unborn child. The assassination of her husband in 1610, which occurred the day after her coronation, caused her to act as regent for her son, Louis XIII, until 1614, when he officially attained his legal majority, but as the head of the Conseil du Roi, she retained the power.[1]. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Simultaneously by placing King and Queen together he effectively illustrates the elevated status of the couple. The site was purchased in 1612 and construction began in 1615, to designs of Salomon de Brosse. [103] Marie, desiring vindication for the death of her close personal friend, Concino Concini, would likely have intended a more direct personal allusion to Constable de Luynes, but Rubens preferring to keep to allegory, avoided specifics that could later prove embarrassing. Sure, Henry was a royal catch, but Maries suitor had an utterly disturbing reputation. Direct link to CielAllen08's post Is there a book about Kin, Posted 7 years ago. The Master of the 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. Much speculation exists on the exact circumstances under which Marie de' Medici decided to commission Rubens to paint "such a grandiose project, conceived in truly heroic proportions". In 1617, Louis XIII finally decided to take governing matters in his own hands at the age of fifteen and the queen was exiled to Blois. [28], The historical period that encompassed the subject matter for the paintings was a time of political upheaval in which Rubens sought not to offend the reigning French monarch. 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. In the night of 2122 February 1619, the 43-year-old Queen Mother escaped from her prison in Blois with a rope ladder and by scaling a wall of 40 m. Gentlemen took her across the Pont de Blois and riders sent by the Duc d'pernon escorted Marie in his coach. Her importance is further highlighted by her equal height to her son, the King. On the one hand, Protestants were worried about the rapprochement of Marie with Spain; on the other hand, Marie's attempts to strengthen her power by relying on the Concinis deeply displeased part of the French nobility. They are getting richer, they said, at our expense. Writing decades later, the author Honore de Balzac accused her of having known of the kings assassination. Personally, I think the French just dont understand the term poetic justice. As for Maries reaction. 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. Marie, in turn, showed great sympathy and support to her husband's banished ex-wife Marguerite de Valois, prompting Henry IV to allow her back to Paris. [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. [78] Fame in the right side of the painting pushes air through the trumpet so powerfully that a burst of smoke comes out. How many assistance did he have? At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Close to the artists of her native Florence, Maria was trained in drawing by Jacopo Ligozzi, and she was reportedly very talented; she also played music (singing and practicing the guitar and the lute) and enjoyed theater, dance, and comedy. An avid ballet performer and art collector, she deployed artistic patronage that helped develop the arts in France. Symbols and allegory appear throughout the painting. In fact, she started an uprising twice. She was a descendant of the great and wealthy House of Medici.. Gortner, He depicts her leaving the ship down a gangplank (she actually walked up, not down, but was illustrated this way by Rubens to create a diagonal element). Leonora had so much influence over the young girl, Marie often refused to make decisions without her. Saturn has his sickle and is personified as Time here guiding France forward. [78] The Queen thrusts her arm high with an assembler's baton in hand. At this time Henry IV was about to depart to fight in the War of Succession over the United Duchies of Jlich-Cleves-Berg; the coronation aimed to confer greater legitimacy on the Queen from the perspective of a possible regency which she would be called upon to provide in the absence of the King. He is shown in the center of the scene raising a flaming sword. Henry had been sending her romantic love letters, and when he finally met the bride, he continued to lavish her with chivalry. [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]. 1982. After negotiating the terms of the contract in early 1622, the project was to be completed within two years, coinciding with the marriage of Marie's daughter, Henrietta Maria. His victorious army rushes in chaotically behind him; horses rearing and riders falling. We all have sins to confess.. While the other paintings were completed at Rubens's studio in Antwerp, The Felicity of the Regency of Marie de' Medici was designed and painted entirely by Rubens on the spot to replace another, far more controversial depiction of Marie's 1617 expulsion from Paris by her son Louis. [14] The very next day (14 May), Henry IV was assassinated by Franois Ravaillac - which immediately raised suspicions of a conspiracy.[15]. [112] Compositionally, Rubens gives the queen greater importance in this panel through the use of gestures and gazes. The Princess of Conti and the Duchess of Montpensier (mother of her future daughter in law) carry the train of the royal mantle. One year later (10 April 1578) Grand Duchess Joanna heavily pregnant with her eighth child fell from the stairs in the Grand Ducal Palace in Florence, dying the next day after giving birth to a premature stillborn son. A formal chronological structure is followed in Panegyric writings detailing the ancestry, birth, education and life of the individual. Plus, she had another thing going for her. [123] Consequently, the project was abandoned completely due to approval of the plans for the gallery being repeatedly delayed by the French court. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. The crowd below in the basilica raise their hands in acclamation of the new Queen, and above, the classical personifications of Abundantia and a winged Victoria shower the blessings of peace and prosperity upon the head of Marie by pouring the golden coins of Jupiter. It was designed by Tommaso Francini, a Florentine fountain maker and hydraulic engineer. WebMarie de Medici was described as both proud and scheming. 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. Related: Shed waited a long time to find her equalbut this wasnt the fairy tale it sounds like. [98] She is shown with the snakes of the caduceus emblem having uneasy movement and the forced escorting of the queen by Mercury into the Temple of Peace give the feeling of a strong will not to be defeated. Well, the hits just kept on coming. [33] The last panel of the cycle, in accordance with this theme, illustrates Queen Marie rising up to her place as queen of heaven, having achieved her lifelong goal of immortality through eternal fame. It also suggests that she perpetuated the policies and ideals of the late King in his life and in death. Though the painting shows Marie de' Medici's desire for security with the representation of the Temple of Security, the symbols of evil at bay, and the change of smoky haze to clarity, there is also underlying symbolism of unrest to the acceptance of the truce. 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