Marie, meanwhile, basked in the glow of success and looked forward to an official coronation now that she had done her duty. The Queen accepts an orb, a symbol of government, from the personification of France while the people kneel before her and this scene is a great example of the exaggeration of facts in the cycle. Not only had Henry just received an annulment after a disastrous marriage to Margaret of Valois, he was known throughout the continent as one of the most rampant philanderers of his time, with scores of mistresses and illegitimate children. However, Marie maintained her late husband's policy of religious tolerance. 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. Marie is shown as Juno (Greek Hera) identified by the peacocks and chariot. [23], Jules Michelet also contributed to the denigration of Marie de Mdicis.[24]. Although Louis had come of age in 1614, Marie stubbornly refused to cede an ounce of power to her bouncing baby boy, remaining the de facto ruler of France long past her expiration date. The Henry cycle called for twenty-four monumental scenes of Henry's life depicting "the encounters he was engaged in, his combats, conquests, and sieges of towns with the Triumphs of said victories. And that wasnt all. The ultimate extension of the ruffs, or wide pleated collars, that were so popular among the wealthy in the sixteenth century was the Medici collar. 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. Plus, she had another thing going for her. [19] The Concinis had Henry IV's able minister, the Duke of Sully, dismissed, and Italian representatives of the Roman Catholic Church hoped to force the suppression of Protestantism in France by means of their influence. An avid ballet performer and art collector, she deployed artistic patronage that helped develop the arts in France. However, when a papal bull denied him the throne and excommunicated him, Henry of Navarre protested, starting the War of the Three Henrys. Canvas from Frans Pourbus . This backfired so, so badly. However, even after Louis came of age at thirteen in 1614, the queen continued ruling in his stead. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. The overseer or creator of more than three thousand woodcuts, engravings and paintings in various mediums, Rubens's works include historical, religious and allegorical paintings, altarpieces, portraits and landscapes. It also suggests that she perpetuated the policies and ideals of the late King in his life and in death. [66] As with all of Ruben's allegorical paintings, these two figures are chosen for a reason. Well, Marie wasted no time either. Today, most know the Medici family for their notorious exploits in Renaissance Italy, yet few remember their infamous descendant Marie de Medici, whose scandals were somehow even more shameful. After the little Dauphin Louis came into the world, Henry ushered hundreds of courtiers into the birthing room to celebrate. He gazes up in gratitude, his left hand extended as he expresses his delight in his bride-to-be. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. However, a few weeks later, Henrietta d'Entragues also produced a son, and Henry not only made just as much fuss over this son but declared that he was better-looking, not fat and dark like Louis and the Medici. 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. He was difficult, prone to tantrums, and grew ever more stubborn as the years went on. Marie took her sons forgiveness as an opportunity to gain further influence at courtand to be fair, she was darn good at 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. [50], He [Rubens] surrounded her [Marie de' Medici] with such a wealth of appurtenances that at every moment she was very nearly pushed into the background. Rubens gave Mercury an impression untruthfulness by illustrating his figure hiding a caduceus behind his thigh. [60], The Coronation in Saint-Denis is the last scene on the North End of the West Wall, showing the completion of Marie's divinely assisted preparation. [78] The eagle in the sky compels the weaker birds to flee. Princeton. Rubens also added a barking dog, a common reference used to indicate or warn someone of foreigners who came with evil intention. [14] Rubens painted extravagant images of the Queen Mother surrounded by ancient gods and at times even deified her using these devices. [107] Marie de' Medici however, emerges as a loving mother, ready to forgive all evils and pain endured. Through a causal nexus, this painting would have been available to Rubens and thereby plausible for its influence to exist within Rubens's own genius on canvas. During this time, Rubens was in Madrid preparing for a diplomatic mission to London, working towards the rapprochement of Spain and England. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. [16] She immediately banished her late husband's mistress, Catherine de Balzac d'Entragues, from the court. Marie's conduct was such that she forced her son to banish her from France, where she was encouraging her other son, Gaston. King smitten with the portrait of his bride-to-be (detail), Peter Paul Rubens, Jupiter and Juno (detail), Peter Paul Rubens, The Presentation of the Portrait of Marie de Medici, c. 1622-1625, oil on canvas, 394 x 295 cm (Muse du Louvre). 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. Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini presides over the ritual. [125], The Triumphal Entry into Paris is the culminating point of the North End of the gallery. 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. Thanks for your help! [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. My dear, never give up a crown to anybody. Rule number one in queen school is to respect your crown. Bet she loved that. 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. She believed that diplomacy should be obtained through marriage and it is the marriage of her daughter Henrietta Maria to Charles I that rushed the completion of the Medici Cycle. [8] In 1621, Marie de' Medici commissioned Rubens to paint two large series depicting the lives of herself and her late husband, Henry IV, to adorn both wings of the first floor of the Luxembourg Palace. [24], Originally the viewer would have entered the gallery from the southeast corner. Rubens had the task of creating twenty-one paintings about a woman whose life could be measured by her marriage to Henry IV and the births of her six children, one of which died in infancy. 20 likes. The sixteen paintings that covered the long walls of the gallery measure about four meters tall by three meters wide, the three larger paintings at the end of the room are four meters high by seven meters wide. Related: Practically her first act as Regent was to seek vengeance on Henriette dEntragues, banishing the bitter mistress from her presence and her court. Another bone of contention concerned the proper maintenance of Marie's household as Queen of France: despite the enormous dowry she brought to the marriage, her husband often refused her the money necessary to pay all the expenses that she intended to carry out to show everyone her royal rank. Symbols and allegory appear throughout the painting. After having obtained the annulment of his union to Margaret of Valois in December 1599,[4] Henry IV officially started negotiations for his new marriage with Maria de' Medici. France declined to receive her. The portrait of the Queen's father, Francesco I, is on the right and faces the passageway towards Marie de' Medici's private chambers. In a patriarchal society, that would not be wise of the young monarch to give up her political power. Sometimes also referred to as The Apotheosis of Henry IV and The Proclamation of the Regency, this particular painting within the Medici Cycle as a whole, was placed originally by Rubens as a series of three. And let me tell you, that was not a good idea. 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. "The Golden Age of Marie de' Medici". She escaped to Brussels, and later died in exile in 1642 in the same house that the Peter Paul Rubens's family had occupied more than fifty years prior. Therefore, Marie's visual biography was divided into three main chapters: childhood, life as a married queen, and the regency as a widow. The Renaissance painter Jacopo Ligozzi actually taught her drawing, turning the girl into a talented illustrator. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Marie had clung to power past the end of her regency, until Louis seized power in 1617 and exiled her to Blois. Now orphaned, Maria was considered the richest heiress in Europe.[7]. [122] Richelieu, who now had full control of the cycle, refused to speak to Rubens about completing the Henry Gallery based on the falsehood that he was tending to affairs of the state. Henrys mistress Henriette had to go and give birth to another son, albeit an illegitimate one. To the left, the arms of the Medici can be seen above an arched structure, where a Knight of Malta stands in all of his regalia. View of the Marie de Medici cycle by Peter Paul Rubens in the Louvre (photo: Presentation of the Portrait of Marie de Medici (at left), Marie de Medici cycle in the Louvre, Cupid and King Henry discussing the portrait of Marie de Medici (detail), Peter Paul Rubens, The Presentation of the Portrait of Marie de Medici, c. 1622-1625, oil on canvas, 394 x 295 cm (Muse du Louvre). The scene is rich with symbolism highlighting her heroism and victory. Below, Poseidon, three Nereids, a sea-god and Triton rise from the sea, after having escorted the future Queen on the long voyage to procure her safe arrival in Marseilles. Except when Richelieu got too powerful, Marie made a huge, panicked mistake. Direct link to Jenni Roberts's post Why was Henry VI given a , Posted 6 years ago. When Marie made the rounds to her various relatives around Europe, she took the time to grouse to each of them and their spouses about her son King Louis XIII and how much he had wronged her. 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. On either side of the fireplace in the gallery are the portraits of the Queen's parents. In the end, Marie had to needle Henry for nearly a decade to give her a coronation. Escaping from Blois, 22 Feb., 1619, she made her way into Angoulme and obtained from Luynes the government of Anjou, which became a rallying-point for malcontents. A formal chronological structure is followed in Panegyric writings detailing the ancestry, birth, education and life of the individual. Although, surprisingly, Ruben's version is considered even less remarkable than the models. Still, her end came quick and tragic. While in the matronly doghouse, Marie spent her time as a monarch-for-hire, and made a special visit to Amsterdam to help officially recognize the nascent Dutch Republic. Having never been a particularly graceful event for anyone, disembarking a ship does not pose a problem for Rubens in his depiction of Marie de' Medici arriving in Marseilles after having been married to Henry IV by proxy in Florence. The mythological figures include Apollo and Pallas, who combat and overcome vices such as Discord, Hate, Fury, and Envy on the ground and Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, Hermes, Pan, Flora, Hebe, Pomono, Venus, Mars, Zeus, Hera, Cupid, and Diana above. This young girl, a few years older than Maria, soon gained great influence over the princess, to the point that Maria would not make decisions without talking to Leonora first. Marie continued to attend the Conseil du roi by following the advice of Cardinal Richelieu, who she introduced to the King as minister. His victorious army rushes in chaotically behind him; horses rearing and riders falling. This, along with its setting makes it difficult to figure out the subject matter of the work. And whatever Marie wants, Marie gets. With Amor the Cupid as his escort, Hymenaios, the god of marriage, displays the princess Marie on canvas to her future king and husband. These paintings of her parents in Marie de' Medici's reception hall look bleak in comparison to the portrait of Marie, where she is looking beautiful if not vain. In 1631, Marie found herself exiled from court for the second and final time, and King Louis made sure his mommie dearest could never come back. Unfortunately, it was far too late. It's okay, Kriss. A few months later, Grand Duke Francesco I married his longtime mistress Bianca Cappello; the marriage was officially revealed one year later, on 12 June 1579. In fact, she started an uprising twice. Marie gave birth to five more children (three daughters and two more sons) between 1602 and 1609; however, during 16031606 she was effectively separated from her husband. [83], This particular painting in the Marie de' Medici Cycle is noteworthy for its uniqueness in execution. 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. She died in almost total poverty and obscurity, far away from both her homeland and the country she had once ruled. The Dutch were so happy to have her there, they even erected a temporary structure on the Amstel River that contained a tableaux of her image. 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. They regarded Marie as a foreigner for practically her entire time there, especially when the queen could never manage to speak French fluently and continued to keep her childhood friend Leonora as one of her only bosom buddies. Scene is rich with symbolism highlighting her heroism and victory would not be of... 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