By 1584, she had lost two more of her siblings, and in 1587, both her father and his new wife passed under mysterious circumstances, likely from poison. It is important to note that the reasons for not completing the Henry IV cycle had to do with the current political events of the time. Judging by another statement of his on 27 January 1628, he did not engage much in sketching before that date. Her favorite move was to use painters to decorate her lavish palaces, including when she hired the Flemish painter Ambroise Dubois to do up her apartments at the Palace of Fontainebleau. Force, extending her oar and heaving to, is identified by the shield just beneath her showing a lion and column. He also sold her a famous rosary, captured in Brazil. [111] Her son who is obscured in part by the Wing of Time, kneels before the queen and presents her with the token of amity, the clasped hands and flaming heart within a laurel crown. [13] However, the Medici commission was welcomed by Rubens as an opportunity to apply his skills within a secular scene. The aging ruler, who was nearly two decades older than Marie, had been dirt poor for years, at least by royal standards. Buckle up: This is one Medici who made good on her villainous name. 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. On September 27, 1601, Marie gave King Henry his biggest wish: A legitimate son. [45] This connection between the two show that not only are the gods in favor of the match, the King also has the well wishes of his people. Indeed, she considered it a mercy when she decided to beat him only just enough to not cause any illness. Minerva, goddess of wisdom, bears her helmet and shield and stands near Marie's shoulder, signifying her wise rule. The theme of peace, which runs throughout the cycle, was indeed furthered not only in France but in Europe by the marriage alliances brokered by Marie for her children: Louis XIII married a daughter of the Spanish king, her daughter Elisabeth married the heir to the Spanish throne (the future King Philip IV), and her daughter Henrietta married Charles I of England. [18] Rubens's studies of classical, Greek, and Latin texts influenced his career and set him apart from other painters during his time. He praised her sweet and pleasing carriageand immediately took her to bed, natch. 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. Above them, two putti brandish hymeneal torches, a small zephyr blows a warm breeze of spring and scatter roses, and a circle of joyous butterfly-winged putti surround Felicitas Publica with the caduceus, who showers the couple with gold from her cornucopia. [24], Originally the viewer would have entered the gallery from the southeast corner. Why was Henry VI given a portrait of Marie, instead of Marie herself? 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. She named him after the founder of the main Medici line who ruled Florence in the previous century, and she was instrumental in arranging an Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Power Deferred In 1559, her eldest son, Francis II, came to the throne at just 15 years old. 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. 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. Bet she loved that. Her humble, yet all-knowing gaze conveys the wisdom that she holds. 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. [44] A personification of France is shown behind Henry in her helmet, her left hand showing support, sharing in his admiration of the future sovereignty. Cupids arrow has hit its mark; the king is smitten. WebIf Marie de Medici wasnt the most obedient wife, she wasnt the most caring mother, either. Although Maries uncle Cardinal Ferdinand was at the head of her marriage committee, he gave the young woman an unprecedented amount of choosing power, refusing to force her hand into a marriage agreement. Other changes include the removal of the Three Fates, originally positioned behind the king calling him to his destiny, war, and death. 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. 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". C.W. Saturn has his sickle and is personified as Time here guiding France forward. The site was purchased in 1612 and construction began in 1615, to designs of Salomon de Brosse. Well, Marie wasted no time either. When she arrived at her home in the Louvre in the capital, she found her surroundings so run-down, she was sure her husband was playing a joke on her. After her disembarkation, Marie continued her trip, arriving at Lyon on 3 December. The return of Astraea to earth is symbolic of the embodiment of continuing Justice with the birth of the future king. In late February 1619, Marie had enough of sitting pretty in some faraway palace. She took a strict approach to parenting Louis, which was saying something for the time. Maria de'Medici, Queen of France , wife of King Henri IV. WebWritten and illuminated in the first quarter of 16th century the Flemish book of hours of Marie de Medici represents a beautiful example of the artistic perfection of Flemish art. However, the caduceus, which is seen in six other paintings in the cycle, has also been associated with peace and harmony. [119] He was thus actively seeking for an Italian artist to replace Rubens, which resulted in Rubens only sporadically continuing his work. 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. Marie commissioned paintings that truthfully followed the events of her life, and it was the job of Rubens to tactfully convey these images. Scandalous Facts About Juicy Court Intrigues Throughout History, Truth Hurts: Binge-Worthy Stories About The Biggest Liars Of All Time, Bone-Chilling Moments We'll Never Be Able To Explain, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, "The Bride Kissed The Best Man" And Other Real-Life Wedding Disasters, Extravagant Facts About Josephine Baker, The Black Pearl of Paris. And whatever Marie wants, Marie gets. Also present in each are objets importants: rudder, globe, and rosaries. Powerful ones. Posted 7 years ago. [107] Marie de' Medici however, emerges as a loving mother, ready to forgive all evils and pain endured. Even King Philip IV of Spain now refused to allow her to settle in the Netherlands. [78] Fame in the right side of the painting pushes air through the trumpet so powerfully that a burst of smoke comes out. 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). [83], This particular painting in the Marie de' Medici Cycle is noteworthy for its uniqueness in execution. The Queen Marie is depicted in a humble way, yet the illustration implies her power over the military. 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. Rubens received the commission in the autumn of 1621. Accordingly, Marie would outright reject suitors in the blink of an eyeuntil, that is, she met her match at last. In the works, Marie got the painter to depict her as the Roman goddess Juno. 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. [1] Rubens, then court painter to the Duchy of Mantua under Vincenzo I Gonzaga,[7] had first met Marie at her proxy wedding in Florence in 1600. It is highly unlikely that Rubens actually had such a pronounced presence in this scene when it took place. 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. This painting was created on the cusp of the age of absolutism and, as such, one must remember royalty were considered above corporeal existence. She intended to plead her case there, but the escape was only a political trap set by her son, who had withdrawn the regiments guarding the Chteau de Compigne. [32] In Greek and Roman mythology, one Fate spun the thread, another measured its length, and the third cut the thread. 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. [41] The painting displays an embellished Baroque collaboration of the spiritual and earthly relationships, which are illustrated in a theatrical environment. 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 Catholic fanatic Francois Ravaillac assassinated the king. The Duke of Nevers then took the leadership of the nobility in revolt against the Queen. Four of the images are devoted to the marriage, possibly because marriage at Marie's relatively advanced age of twenty-seven was quite rare for a woman at the time. The Regency was officially ended following the Lit de justice of 2 October 1614, which declared that Louis XIII had attained his legal majority of age, but Marie then became head of the Conseil du Roi and retained all her control over the government. Somewhat understandably, then, Henriette was absolutely livid at the betrayal. [124], The Henry IV cycle was planned to be composed of scenes from the king's military career. When a European king needed a wife, he didn't make the rounds of all the courts with available princesses. In one of his letters the artist describes the theme as "so large and magnificent that it would suffice for ten galleries". [27] [73] To Marie de' Medici these unions were probably the most significant part of her reign, for peace in Europe was Marie's greatest goal. tags: love , medici. Rubens followed this structure in his series of paintings about Marie de' Medici. 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. A true douchenozzle to the bitter end, Henry rejoiced just as much in the birth of this son too, and even declared that the younger boy was better-looking than his fat and dark son Louis. Also symbolizing victory is the imperial eagle which can be seen in the distance. Marie was of a very jealous temperament, and she refused to accept her husband's numerous infidelities; indeed, he forced his wife to rub shoulders with his mistresses. [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. Although Marie was beautiful, Henry wanted her onlyand I mean onlyfor her money. Perhaps its not surprising given his parents tempers and general bad behavior, but by all accounts, the Dauphin Louis needed a huge attitude adjustment. This portrait of Johanna of Austria is overall an inexpressive image of a woman. Unfortunately, it was far too late. Francesco I is depicted wearing an ermine-lined mantle with a cross around his neck which represents the Tuscan order of Saint Stephen which his father founded. Marie earned a long list of foes in her dangerous game of thrones, but her biggest rival was the one closest to her heart: Her own son Louis. Within hours after Henry IV's assassination, Marie was confirmed as Regent by the Parliament of Paris on behalf of her son and new King, eight-year-old Louis XIII. She is also placed compositionally in a tight and unified group with the cardinals, signifying a truthful side opposed to Mercury's dishonesty. The truth is, not one of us is innocent. Marie de Mdicis, Britannica. The queen's personification as Minerva would facilitate Henry's military prowess and her own. Despite the fact that Marie had given the country a future ruler, the entire French court treated her with about as much respect as King Henry himself did. By representing Marie as Juno, implying Henry as Jupiter, the king is seen domesticated by marriage. [4] The contract stated that Rubens was to paint all the figures, which presumably allowed him to employ assistants for backgrounds and details.[5]. 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. Heck yes she did. [82] With the death of son Louis' court favorite, Charles d'Albert de Luynes, mother and son reconcile. 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