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. Marie's conduct was such that she forced her son to banish her from France, where she was encouraging her other son, Gaston. [78] The eagle in the sky compels the weaker birds to flee. Have some pie," Natalie offered. 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. [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. From there, the second half of Rubens' cycle begins addressing the more controversial issues from Marie's reign. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. 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. The first painting of the narrative cycle, The Destiny of Marie de' Medici, is a twisting composition of the three Fates on clouds beneath the celestial figures of Juno and Jupiter. WebA figure representing Magnanimity trails behind, while above, Victory readies to place a laurel wreath on her head and Fame blows energetically on a trumpet. [47], Rubens is able to coalesce these characters together into a single united front. As was often the case with royal weddings, the bride's uncle, the Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany stood in the King's place and is pictured here slipping a ring on his niece's finger. Maria was interested in science; she enjoyed learning about mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, as well as the arts. WebLorenzo de' Medici "Youth is sweet and well, But doth speed away!, Let who will be gay, Tomorrow none can tell" Lorenzo de' Medici "Desire matched what nature's will decreed: It did not spurn but relished what it had" Lorenzo de' Medici "The more she is denied to him, the more desire inflames and stings his smitten heart" Lorenzo de' Medici Gortner, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. [72] Marie hoped for her son, Louis XIII, to marry the Spanish Infanta Anne and for her daughter Elizabeth to marry the future king of Spain, Philip IV, possibly resulting in an alliance between France and Spain. [24], Originally the viewer would have entered the gallery from the southeast corner. Rubens thus turned to mythological allusions, emblematic references, personifications of vices and virtues and religious analogies to veil an often unheroic or ambiguous reality. [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's okay, Kriss. *laughs nervously*. His willingness to fit his ideas with those of the patron equipped him with the perfect tools to be in charge of such a delicate and heavily anticipated subject. The effect of the two groups of figures is meant to stress the gap between the two sides. [43] Rubens had a way of depicting France that was very versatile in gender in many of his paintings in the cycle. Lets just, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Cool Facts About Charlie Parker, The Tortured Genius, Brilliant Facts About Anita Loos, Hollywoods Hidden Star, Daring Facts About Gina Lollobrigida, Golden Hollywoods Last Survivor, Wanted Facts About Yellowstone, TVs Killer Western Drama. [114] It is at this point that the Medici Cycle changes to the subject of the Queen Mother's reign. As a comparison, there are within each, two women upon a dais classical pillars, swathes of luxuriant cloth, genuflecting personages with arms extended, and allegorical figures present. Still, her end came quick and tragic. However her bottom half, most notably her exposed calves and Roman boots hints at a masculinity. But hey, beauty is only skin deepas it turned out, the real issue was that he was a monster inside. 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. When Marie first heard that the powerful King Henry IV of France was after her hand in marriage, she was smitten immediately. You will fare better without it. Jupiter is meant to be the King's celestial counterpart, while Saturn, who represents finite time, is an indication of the end of Henry's mortal existence. In a patriarchal society, that would not be wise of the young monarch to give up her political power. It is the weed called envy . Hymen holds in his left hand a flaming torch, symbolizing the ardor of love, while Cupid extols the virtues of the Medici princess. [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. Maries appreciation of the visual arts ran deep, and she also dabbled in the medium herself. Other changes include the removal of the Three Fates, originally positioned behind the king calling him to his destiny, war, and death. Johanna of Austria rubens.jpg 373 823; 99 KB. [69] As soon as news reached the palace that the king had perished, parliament wasted no time confirming Marie as Regent over her young son Louis. The Wedding by Proxy of Marie de' Medici to King Henry IV (162225), Rubens depicts the proxy marriage ceremony of the Florentine princess Marie de' Medici to the King of France, Henry IV which took place in the cathedral of Florence on 5 October 1600. Rather than accept this as a depiction of Marie as Justice, some hold that the real subject of the painting is the "return to earth of Astraea, the principle of divine justice, in a golden age. But soon, a more prestigious suitor presented himself: King Henry IV of France. Yes, the literal day after Maries coronation, her husband was gone. They are used literally to portray the actual time of the event and shield the queen from spectators as they illuminate her path. Little Marie was baptized in blood. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. [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. When Henry was assassinated in 1610, Louis XIII, his son and successor to the throne, was only eight years old. Practically before Joannas body was cold in the ground, her father Francesco married again, this time to his long-time mistress, Bianca Cappello. Very devout, she was known to keep an open mind, and to depend on those around her for support. Within this context Rubens' approach to 'historical truth' may appear selective or, worse, dishonest, but he was neither a historian in the modern sense, nor a journalist; the Medici cycle is not reportage, but rather poetic transformation. Jupiter and Juno (detail), Peter Paul Rubens. [125] The Battle of Ivry on the East Wall of the gallery is a scene of Henry's most decisive battle to unify the city of Paris. 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. WebMarie de Medici was described as both proud and scheming. [99] It can also be debated that the painting is not really about peace or security, but really an unrelenting spirit that does not give into loss. 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). Rubens deliberate vagueness would be consistent with his practice of generalizing and allegorizing historical facts especially in a painting about peace and reconciliation. 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. 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. 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 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. Henry had been sending her romantic love letters, and when he finally met the bride, he continued to lavish her with chivalry. If Marie de Medici wasnt the most obedient wife, she wasnt the most caring mother, either. 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. Marie had clung to power past the end of her regency, until Louis seized power in 1617 and exiled her to Blois. However, this match is about politics as well as love. WebMedici Quotes Quotes tagged as "medici" Showing 1-7 of 7 The truth is, not one of is innocent. Born at the Palazzo Pitti of Florence, Italy on 26 April 1575,[2] Maria was the sixth daughter of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Archduchess Joanna of Austria. From the beginning, Marie was under suspicion at court because she was perceived as a foreigner and never truly mastered French;[18] moreover, she was heavily influenced by her Italian friends and confidants, including her foster sister Leonora "Galigai" Dori and Concino Concini, who was created Marquis d'Ancre and a Marshal of France, even though he had never fought a single battle. Marie de' Medici was banished from Paris in 1631 as Cardinal Richelieu gained power over Louis XIII. Bet she loved that. To that end, she started an uprising against her own son, now King Louis XIII, using her old allies. The lions pull the chariot (which is a pun on the name of the city), and in the chariot we see the allegorical figure of the city herself with a crown of her battlements: Lyons. Playing the tough love card, he forced her into refuge with his enemies in Spanish territories, thereby stripping her of her title of Queen Mother along with any pensions. 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. Panegyric writings were usually written during an important political event, the birth of a prince for example, and were used to exalt the qualities and ancestry of a ruler. 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. She is also placed compositionally in a tight and unified group with the cardinals, signifying a truthful side opposed to Mercury's dishonesty. In application of the Treaty of Sainte-Menehould (15 May 1614), the Queen-Regent convened the Estates General in Paris. Antoinette de Pons, Marquise de Guercheville and Premire dame d'honneur of the new Queen, was responsible for welcoming her to Marseille. [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. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. But her most extravagant move was just around the corner. This painting of classical gods, along with allegorical personifications, aptly shows the viewer how fundamental this idea was.[43]. She had a long, oval face, auburn hair, and wide, piercing eyes. Her education is given a divine grace by the presence of three gods Apollo, Athena, and Hermes. WebMarie de' Medici, originally a scion of the powerful and rich House of Medici, was the Queen of France and the second wife of the King of France, Henry IV. Reading from left to right, we see the cityscape with its single hill. Louis looks upwards to his mother for guidance on how to steer the ship of state. She even tried to formI kid you nother own league of sons-in-law against Frances interests. 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. See, Henrys philandering actually caused huge dynastic worries. 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. Famous Quotes Catherines own words are mostly found in her surviving letters. More than once, the artistic license of the painter was curbed in order to portray Marie in the right light. 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. The scene is rich with symbolism highlighting her heroism and victory. Somewhat understandably, then, Henriette was absolutely livid at the betrayal. Specifically, the statues of Fracesco and Ferdinando 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. Princeton University Press. He also sold her a famous rosary, captured in Brazil. How many assistance did he have? Completed in 1625, this is the final painting in the cycle in terms of chronological order of completion. 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. Also symbolizing victory is the imperial eagle which can be seen in the distance. 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. Eventually, Louis realized that if he wanted to get any calm in his kingdom, hed have to mollify her somehow. In October 1600, Marie and Henry marriedandthe ceremony was bizarre in more ways than one. Judging by another statement of his on 27 January 1628, he did not engage much in sketching before that date. Little did Marie know, Henry had very likely promised to marry Henriette after the dissolution of his first marriage, not some upstart Medici noble. At the center in front of the mast stands France, with a flame in her right hand illustrating steadfastness and the globe of the realm, or the orb of government, in her left. 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. Her mandate as regent legally expired in 1614, when her son reached the age of majority, but she refused to resign and continued as regent until she was removed by a coup in 1617. Notwithstanding his desire to give an heir to his dynasty, the new Grand Duke gave his orphaned nephew and niece a good education. 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 river god in the picture's right corner is likely an allusion to the Arno River that passes through Florence, Marie's city of birth. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Stirring up xenophobic passion, the nobility designated the Italian immigrants favored by Marie as responsible for all the wrongs of the kingdom. [128] This painting coincides with Apotheosis and Ascendancy in the Marie cycle. [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. Related: Honor de Balzac, in his essay Sur Catherine de Mdicis, encapsulated the Romantic generation's negative view. [82] Anna, at age fourteen the older of the two, turns back as if to take leave of Spain, while France gently pulls her by the left arm. Marie had to wait until 13 May 1610 to be finally crowned Queen of France. WebIf Marie de Medici wasnt the most obedient wife, she wasnt the most caring mother, either. The Queen Marie is depicted in a humble way, yet the illustration implies her power over the military. Marie didnt forget about her Italian cadre of friends when she was at the top, and she promoted Leonora Dori and her husband Concino Concini to high ranks, most flagrantly creating Concini as a Marshal of France despite the little fact that hed never fought in a single, solitary battle. Now orphaned, Maria was considered the richest heiress in Europe.[7]. Sure, Henry was a royal catch, but Maries suitor had an utterly disturbing reputation. 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. 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. 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. In short, Marie had it allfor now, anyway. This antagonism benefited the court, which soon pronounced the closure of the Estates General. 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. [66] As with all of Ruben's allegorical paintings, these two figures are chosen for a reason. 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