donna de medicini

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Women in Power: Caterina and Maria de’ Medici. The Return to Florence of Two Queens of France Accompanying Texts in the Exhibition Ludovica Sebregondi Introduction The year is 1559. Henri II has just died painfully in a joust gone wrong, and his young queen, Caterina de’ Medici must somehow control warring courtiers to ensure her sons become kings in their turn. Fifty years later, Maria de’ Medici too is widowed by the brutal assassination of Henry IV. The world has changed drastically, but again a Florentine Queen must rule France in place of her son. Welcome to the world of magic, religious strife and intrigue that gave birth to the monumental tapestries showing the myth of Artemisia. Like Caterina and Maria, Artemisia also is a Queen; like both she is a widow. Caterina reworked the legends of two very different Artemisias of Antiquity – the warrior queen of the Battle of Salamis, and the widowed queen of Halicarnassus of the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, dedicated to her brother and husband, the king Mausolo. With these two myths ‘rewritten’ Caterina could project the image of the grieving widow and the powerful ruler at the same time. This exhibition invites you to follow how Artemisia is first reworked by the Queens of France as innovative political propaganda, only to be restored in the Baroque period as a paragon of private suffering. FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. Especially for this exhibition, we asked children’s author and poet Roberto Piumini, to re-write each tapestry for the whole family – in verse! Every poem asks you to look carefully to find their hidden secrets – and there is a prize for finding all the clues and writing your own poem! Caterina, Maria and Artemisia: Three Regents Caterina and Maria de’ Medici, queens of France, were major players in the history of their time. Descendants of an extremely wealthy and important family that had had an enormous impact on 15th century culture, thus both imbued with a fresh cultural approach, they became energetic regents for their royal children. Women in power, emblematic and controversial, they left their mark on a century of European history at a time of religious and political upheaval marked by fierce struggles, war and intrigue. The paintings and objects on display in the first section are either related to or belonged to the two queens, mapping out their lives, with their sumptuous weddings and festivities, but also the fact that they were both too soon forced to don widow's weeds. The precious objets d’art on display have links with both Florence and France because many of them, once owned by Caterina, came to Florence through her beloved granddaughter Cristina of Lorraine, wife to Grand Duke Ferdinand I. And it was Ferdinand who was later to stand in for the king of France at Maria's wedding by proxy to Henri IV -- a case of personal history reflecting the broader

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Donna de Medicini

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Women in Power: Caterina and Maria de’ Medici. The Return to Florence of Two Queens of France

Accompanying Texts in the Exhibition

Ludovica Sebregondi

Introduction

The year is 1559. Henri II has just died painfully in a joust gone wrong, and his young queen, Caterina de’ Medici must somehow control warring courtiers to ensure her sons become kings in their turn. Fifty years later, Maria de’ Medici too is widowed by the brutal assassination of Henry IV. The world has changed drastically, but again a Florentine Queen must rule France in place of her son. Welcome to the world of magic, religious strife and intrigue that gave birth to the monumental tapestries showing the myth of Artemisia. Like Caterina and Maria, Artemisia also is a Queen; like both she is a widow. Caterina reworked the legends of two very different Artemisias of Antiquity – the warrior queen of the Battle of Salamis, and the widowed queen of Halicarnassus of the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, dedicated to her brother and husband, the king Mausolo. With these two myths ‘rewritten’ Caterina could project the image of the grieving widow and the powerful ruler at the same time. This exhibition invites you to follow how Artemisia is first reworked by the Queens of France as innovative political propaganda, only to be restored in the Baroque period as a paragon of private suffering. FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN. Especially for this exhibition, we asked children’s author and poet Roberto Piumini, to re-write each tapestry for the whole family – in verse! Every poem asks you to look carefully to find their hidden secrets – and there is a prize for finding all the clues and writing your own poem!

Caterina, Maria and Artemisia: Three Regents Caterina and Maria de’ Medici, queens of France, were major players in the history of their time. Descendants of an extremely wealthy and important family that had had an enormous impact on 15th century culture, thus both imbued with a fresh cultural approach, they became energetic regents for their royal children. Women in power, emblematic and controversial, they left their mark on a century of European history at a time of religious and political upheaval marked by fierce struggles, war and intrigue. The paintings and objects on display in the first section are either related to or belonged to the two queens, mapping out their lives, with their sumptuous weddings and festivities, but also the fact that they were both too soon forced to don widow's weeds. The precious objets d’art on display have links with both Florence and France because many of them, once owned by Caterina, came to Florence through her beloved granddaughter Cristina of Lorraine, wife to Grand Duke Ferdinand I. And it was Ferdinand who was later to stand in for the king of France at Maria's wedding by proxy to Henri IV -- a case of personal history reflecting the broader

history of Europe. In this section we are also introduced to the theme of Artemisia in the revisitation favored by the two Medici queens, a version originally devised by Boccaccio who merged the stories of the two ancient queens of that name. One fought in Rhodes in the 5th century B.C. and was the mother of Lygdamis, who was too young to rule on his own. The other was King Mausolus' wife who built the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus to ensure her husband's memory would live on for eternity, then drank his ashes mixed with water to preserve her own private memory of him, offering her body as his living tomb.

I

Italian artist Portrait of Caterina de’ Medici c. 1600–10 ca. oil on canvas Firenze, Galleria degli Uffizi Caterina de’ Medici was born in Florence on 13 April 1519, to Lorenzo Duke of Urbino and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. Lorenzo the Magnificent was her great-grandfather, Pope Leo X her great-uncle. She was the wife of Henri II who was crowned king in 1547, but she was widowed in 1559. Unusually, she became the mother of three kings: François I, Charles IX and Henri III. She died in the castle in Blois on 1 January 1589. She had managed to safeguard the throne for her children but not to save the Valois dynasty from extinction, because Henri III was killed a few months later. Huguenot Henri de Bourbon, king of Navarre, took the throne as Henri IV, later converting to Catholicism. Santi di Tito (Borgo San Sepolcro 1536–Florence 1603) Portrait of Maria de’ Medici c. 1601 oil on canvas Firenze, Galleria Palatina Born in Florence on 26 April 1575, Maria was the daughter of Francesco I, grand duke of Tuscany, and of Giovanna of Austria. She was married by proxy to Henri IV in Florence in 1600 and gave birth to a son -- the first of six children, who was to become Louis XIII -- a year later. Marie was widowed by a fanatic on 14 May 1610, within one day of her coronation in the basilica of Saint Denis. She immediately took over the regency in her firstborn's name, but she clashed with her own son, Louis XIII, in 1617 when she refused to give up the reins of power. A year later she was exiled to Blois, whence she fled to Brussels, subsequentely traveling to England and finally to Germany, where she died in Cologne in 1642. Jacopo di Chimenti da Empoli (Florence 1551–1640)

Wedding of Caterina de’ Medici and Henry of Valois 1600 oil on canvas Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi The two pictures, commissioned to commemorate Maria's wedding, perfectly represent the rise of the Medici family to the highest rank of Europe's aristocracy. The painting shows Pope Clement VII, himself a Medici, celebrating the marriage of his 14-year-old relative Caterina to an equally young Henri of Valois in Marseilles in 1533 (while Clement was indeed present, he was not in fact the celebrant) in the presence of François I of France. The veiled female figure may be an allusion to Maria Salviati, the girl's companion. In an effort to place the event in the correct context Da Empoli dressed his figures in correct period costume, but the young bride and groom look older than they really were at the time of their wedding. Jacopo di Chimenti da Empoli (Florence 1551–1640) Wedding by proxy of Maria de’ Medici and Henry IV of France, represented by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici 1600 oil on canvas Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi Maria's wedding was celebrated by proxy in Florence on 5 October 1600. The painting shows Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini offering Maria's hand to her uncle Ferdinand I, who presents her with a ring symbolizing the king of France. In the grand duke's entourage we see Don Giovanni, the legitimate son of Cosimo I and Eleonora degli Albizi, Don Virginio, the son of Isabella de' Medici and Paolo Giordano Orsini, and Don Antonio, the legitimate son of Francesco I and Bianca Cappello, who organized the spectacular event. The bride is accompanied by Grand Duchess Christine of Lorraine with Prince Cosimo, Eleonora de' Medici, duchess of Mantua, and Flavia Peretti Damasceni, duchess of Bracciano and wife to Virginio Orsini. Brussels Manufactory based on a cartoon attributed to Lucas de Heere (Ghent 1534–84) after a drawing by Antoine Caron Tournament at Bayonne c. 1575–81 wool, silk, silver, gilded silver Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Deposito Arazzi A tourney was held in Bayonne on 24 June 1565 to celebrate the marriage of Spanish King Philip II with Elizabeth, Caterina's daughter and the sister of the king of France. A number of celebrations were immortalized in one of the most important French cycles of wall hangings, the nine "Valois Tapestries", which are likely to have been a part of the dowry that Caterina gave to her favorite

granddaughter, Christine of Lorraine, when she married Grand Duke Ferdinando I of Tuscany in 1589. Caterina is on the right, wearing the widow's weeds she donned when her husband died in 1559 and kept to for the rest of her life. Behind her we see Marguerite ofValois and Henri of Navarre; on the right Louise of Lorraine, wife of the future Henri III, is accompanied by figures whose identity is uncertain. Antoine Caron was one of the leading artists in mid-16th century France. Santi di Tito (Borgo San Sepolcro 1536–Florence 1603) Portrait of Caterina de’ Medici 1585–6 oil on panel Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi Caterina, who never wore widow's weeds in official portraits painted after Henri II's death, holds a handkerchief in her left hand, while resting her right hand on her breast adorned with a pearl-drop pendant. The work can be accurately dated thanks to a document recording payment for it to Santi di Tito. The artist based his painting on a portrait of Caterina as a young girl by Corneille de Lyon, a work known through numerous copies. Santi di Tito faithfully reproduced the French original but he placed his subject in an ornately decorated chamber, hinting at her identity by painting the Medici emblem ("pills" or "balls") and the lily of France on the furniture.

II. Caterina, Maria and Artemisia: Three Regents

Valerio Belli (Vicenza c. 1468–1546) Medici casket 1530–2 engraved rock crystal backed with silver leaf, gilded silver and enamel Florence, Palazzo Pitti, Museo degli Argenti The cask was a gift from Clement VII to François I of Valois to mark Caterina de' Medici's marriage to the sovereign's second child, the duke of Orleans and future King Henri II of France. The wedding was held in Marseilles in October 1533. The valuable cask returned to Florence as part of the dowry of Christine of Lorraine, Caterina's granddaughter, who was wed to Ferdinando I de' Medici in 1589. Gasparo Miseroni (Milan 1518–73) Cup of Diane de Poitiers c. 1550 rock crystal, enamelled gold mounting; Florence, Palazzo Pitti, Museo degli Argenti

This cup entered the Medici collections as part of the dowry of Christine of Lorraine, a gift from her grandmother, Caterina. The monogram "HC" on the lid stands for Henri II and Caterina. The intertwined initials, however, can also be read as the letter "D", the initial of Diane de Poitiers who was the king's favorite, and the cup is known by her name. The handle on the lid, in the shape of a crescent moon, has been interpreted as another allusion to Diane. François Clouet (Tours c. 1515–Paris 1572) and workshop Portraits of Henry II of Valois and Caterina de’ Medici after 1559 watercolour on parchment Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Depositi The dual oval portrait of Henri II of Valois and Caterina de' Medici is thought to have been in the private collection of Caterina, who probably gave it to her granddaughter Christine of Lorraine. The portrait's dynastic function is obvious when seen in its original context, where a further 13 miniature portraits of members of the royal family are set in a single frame. Unfortunately this could not be included in the exhibition due to its poor state of preservation. Talisman of Caterina de’ Medici France, 16th century (?) bronze Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France On one face the talisman shows Venus (with Taurus, Caterina's star sign, Pisces and Aries, her ascendant), accompanied by symbols and words. An inscription in Hebrew, though using the Roman alphabet, runs around the rim. On the other face we see Jupiter and a woman with a bird's head and an eagle's claws. It has been suggested that Caterina de' Medici used the talisman to call down the stars' beneficial influence on her marriage and children, to keep them safe from the threat represented by Diane de Poitiers, the king's favorite. This, of course, is only a suggestion and should be taken as such. By the same token, it is by no means certain that the talisman actually belonged to Caterina, the suggestion that it did probably being prompted by the "black aura" surrounding the sovereign's reputation. Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, called Cagnino, Lord of Bozzolo, to his cousin Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua 1533 October 30, Marseille letter on paper with seal attached Mantua, Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Archivio Gonzaga Gianfrancesco Gonzaga attended Caterina's wedding with Henri in Marseilles in 1533 in the presence of the pope and the king of France, later describing to his cousin Duke Federico II of Mantua his wonder and amazement at the spectacular accompanying festivities that lasted for well

over two weeks. He describes the arrival of Clement VII's naval cortège in the harbor on 11 October, François I's arrival the next day, then the arrival of the queen and the dauphin, the arrival of Duchess Caterina de' Medici herself on 23 October, and finally the celebration of the wedding by the Cardinal de Bourbon on 28 October. Giovanni Desiderio Bernardi (Castelbolognese 1494?–Faenza 1553) Plate with Noah’s Ark first half of the 16th century rock crystal, gilded silver base mounting and rim Florence, Palazzo Pitti, Museo degli Argenti The plate came to Florence in 1589 as part of Christine of Lorraine's dowry. It shows Noah's Ark and the animals, while in the eight side panels on the rim we see Abraham, Isaac, Joshua, Jacob, Moses, David, Solomon and the resurrected Christ. Medalist and engraver Giovanni Bernardi enjoyed the patronage of Cardinals Ippolito de' Medici and Giovanni Salviati in Rome, winning commissions from Pope Clemente VII thanks to their recommendation. Giovanni Lionardo Henner (active in Florence 1617–41) after Frans Pourbus the Younger Portrait of Maria de’ Medici, Queen of France 1628 oil on canvas Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Depositi This painting is a copy of one of two portraits of Maria de' Medici by Frans Pourbus the Younger in Florentine collections. It is a documented work by Giovanni Lionardo Henner, the son of Giuseppe, a lieutenant in the German guard, and a pupil of Giovanni Bilivert. In the portrait, Maria is wearing a gown decked with over 300 large pearls and numerous diamonds from her personal jewelry collection, which included over 5,000 pearls and countless diamonds, one of which was the famous 35-carat "Beau Sancy". Maria de’ Medici to her sister Eleonora Gonzaga, Duchess of Mantua 1586 May 8, Florence letter on paper with seal attached Mantua, Archivio di Stato di Mantova, Archivio Gonzaga A letter written by Maria to her elder sister Eleonara, a princess of Mantua through her marriage to Vincenzo Gonzaga, to mark the birth of Eleonora's firstborn son Francesco, who was to succeed his father. The letter bears witness to the affectionate ties between the two sisters, who were the daughters of Francesco I and Giovanna of Austria. The relaxed intimacy between the two young

women allowed Maria to indulge in the playful gesture of sketching a child in swaddling clothes on the letter. Cameo with Henry IV and Maria de’ Medici France, beginning of the 17th century shell cameo, silver frame Paris, Musée du Louvre Modeled on celebratory medal created by sculptor Guillaume Dupré in 1603, this cameo clearly harks back to classical originals not only in the inscription but also in the way the two sovereigns' head-and-shoulders profiles overlap. The costumes are contemporary, but the technique employed highlights the details and features of Henri and Maria, endowing them with a kind of "ancient" nobility that is reminiscent of cameos bearing the portraits of imperial couples from the age of Augustus and Tiberius. 17th-century French artist Alfresco Luncheon of Henry IV with Queen Maria de’ Medici and Family c. 1610–2 oil on canvas Nantes, Musée des Beaux-Arts Despite the fact that Henri IV, who died in 1610, is present in this painting, it is clearly later in date because the dauphin Louis (born in 1610) and Elisabeth (born in 1602) are shown as adolescents. Queen Maria is also shown wearing a black gown over a high-necked chemise, a style that came into fashion between the first and second decades of the century. The picture may have been painted after the king's death as a tribute to him designed to impart legitimacy to the regency and to praise the political acumen of Maria, who brought the artistic taste and refinement of Florence with her to France, just as Caterina had done before her. The banquet bears eloquent witness to that fact. Henry IV and His Family after an engraving by Léonard Gaultier after a painting by François Quesnel the Elder France, after 1602 glazed terracotta Écouen, Musée national de la Renaissance The central bowl of this ceremonial ceramic plate reproduces an engraving by Léonard Gaultier – published in Paris by Jean Leclerc in 1602 – taken from a picture by François Quesnel painted shortly after the birth of the dauphin Louis in 1601. It has been interpreted in several different ways because only Maria, Henri IV and the nurse can be identified with any degree of certainty, while the identity of the children has been questioned. The plate was probably made in Avon, near Fontainebleau, where there was a thriving glazed terracotta workshop.

Casket Venice (?), c. 1600 lacquered wood, gilded silver, gilded copper, rock crystal Private collection The box is traditionally thought to have contained the swaddling clothes blessed by Pope Clemente VII, which he gave to Henri IV and Maria de' Medici on the birth of their firstborn son, the future Louis XIII. The custom of sending reigning sovereigns' firstborn sons a gift of personally blessed swaddling clothes was begun by Clement VII. Despite the fact that tradition assigns this box to the French royal family, the link between similar boxes and the gift of swaddling clothes has been questioned, particularly on account of their small size and the absence of the papal arms. This box may be considered to be one of the most important examples of a large number of such boxes still extant, all of which date back to the early decades of the 17th century. Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by an artist from the school of Primaticcio Queen Artemisia with the Council (The Deputies) 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national Queen Artemisia, the protagonist of the cycle of tapestries woven to honor the two Medici queens, is shown debating with a group of men and women, a clear attempt to highlight her ability to govern and to listen to sound advice. Unlike the other tapestries in the series of 15 to which the next rooms in the exhibition are devoted, a design by an artist of the school of Primaticcio was used in this instance. Lion’s head from a Greco-Roman original? plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte The plaster casts are only meant to evoke the subject matter of the tapestries next to which they have been placed. Bernard Rantwyck (Nijmegen, doc. in Rome in 1596) The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus; The Pyramids of Egypt; The Statue of Zeus at Olympia; The Colossus of Rhodes; The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus; The Walls of Babylon; The Colosseum c. 1611 oil on panel Florence, Palazzo Pitti, Depositi delle Gallerie Fiorentine

The small panels are a faithful reproduction of a series of engravings made by Philip Galle in 1572 after a drawing by Maerten van Heemskerck. Its success was immediate because this was the first time that the "wonders of the world" had ever been portrayed. Heemskerck supplemented the traditional seven wonders of the ancient world with the Colosseum, the eighth and largest of them all, while the panel with the Lighthouse of Alexandria is missing (probably lost). Inside the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Artemisia advances holding a cup brimming with wine (water or tears – sources differ) mixed with her husband's ashes. Before her stands the architect of the Mausoleum, and to her left we see the bas-relief sculptors.

The Tapestry Gallery

The “Tapestry Gallery” contains 15 spectacular tapestries telling the story of Queen Artemisia. But the tapestries were only woven many years after their initial conception. An erudite Parisian pharmacist and patron of the arts, Nicolas Houel, wrote a biography of Artemisia in 1563 entitled Histoire de la reine Artémise, commissioning from Antoine Caron a series of drawings and accompanying sonnets for the work, which he intended to offer the regent, Caterina de’ Medici, who was governing in her son's name. Using the figure of Artemisia, Houel created an ideal persona set in ancient times but with Caterina's contemporary features. It was a regent's duty to keep alive the deceased sovereign's memory, to consolidate royal power and to make a show of motherly love, all of which traits could be found both in Artemisia and in Caterina. Houel offered the queen Caron's small-scale drawings on which to model the tapestries, but Caterina never used them. In 1599, however, Henri IV decided to have the series woven in the tapestry manufactures he had set up to foster economic recovery in France after the Wars of Religion. Weaving began in 1607, but this time to celebrate Queen Maria de’ Medici. Of the 15 tapestries on display, eight are based on Caron's drawings, while new drawings were made for the other seven. Five of these have been attributed to Henri Lerambert, "painter for the king's tapestries". The tapestries were woven in the manufacture situated in the faubourg Saint-Marcel, under the direction of Flemish tapestry weavers François de La Planche e Marc de Comans. The story of Artemisia was also used as the subject matter for several other series of tapestries. The Tapestry A tapestry is a woven textile product with a ribbed surface that distinguishes it from other fabrics. This particular feature is due to the fact that the warp thread is thicker than the weft thread. Thus even though the wefts completely cover the underlying warp, the warp continues to be perfectly perceptible as a series of horizontal lines, giving the tapestry its characteristic grooved effect. A tapestry's value lies in a combination of: the type of yarn used in its manufacture (wool, silk or metallic yarn) and that yarn's quality and fineness, which determines the clarity of the subject matter; the dyes, which are responsible for the brilliance and lasting quality of the color; and the "cartoon" the painter provides as a model for the weavers. Tapestries have always been a princely commission because they are so expensive to make. Costing even more than frescoes, they were accessible only to sovereigns, nobles and high-ranking

prelates for their castles, villas, palaces and churches. Tapestries were also appreciated for their ability to keep damp at bay and because they were easy to move from place to place. Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Henri Lerambert Soldiers on Foot (Soldiers Mounting Guard) 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The tapestries in the cycle vary in size. There are six large, horizontal tapestries and nine vertical entre fenêtre tapestries. The vertical tapestries were purely decorative and could easily be slotted in between two of the larger ones. Six soldiers are on guard before a palace whose second-floor loggia is visible. Unlike the other tapestries in the cycle, this one evinces a quest for historic authenticity in the depiction of the armor, particularly evident in the legionary's helmet and short sword. All the tapestries are decorated around the edge with garlands, bunches of flowers and trophies of arms, lions' heads in medallions, intertwined fruit and flowers, cartouches with monochrome figures in the corners, and four putti or cherubs on the right and on the left who only appear in other wall hangings woven for the king. Roman steelyard weight from a 1st century A.D. original in bronze plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron Exercise in the Assault and Defence of a Bastion 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The tapestry is faithful to the original design by Caron, combining classical inspiration with contemporary form, two tendencies that are carried throughout the series on display. Monumental sculptures resting on rich bases and classical architecture and armor defined in every detail provide an overall allusion to the ancient world that has no specific chronological reference but that is simply used as a thematic backdrop. The addition of femal onlookers in the ruined building, however, shows that what we are looking at is a game rather than the real tragedy of war. Horse’s head modelled on a 2nd/1st century B.C.

original in bronze in the Museo Archeologico, Florence Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Riding Lesson 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The tapestry is the first in a series devoted to the physical and military education of the young Lygdamis. The presence of his mother -- who is attending the riding lesson set in an arena in which we see the Colosseum and a hippodrome based on the one in Constantinople, with the Tripod of Plataea and the statue of Hercules -- tells us that the prince's learning to hold the reins of his horse symbolizes his ability to hold the reins of power. The image of the regent as a loving and conscientious tutor, which permeates the Artemisia cycle, was a message for a society that was impatient to see the regency come to an end and the perfectly trained successor to the throne finally take over the reins of government. Head of the "Farnese” Hercules copy of 4th century B.C. work by Lysippus plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Henri Lerambert A Captain on Horseback 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national This composition was used for the execution of numerous wall hangings both by the Louvre's own tapestry workshop and by the Gobelins manufacture. The presence of a horse and rider imparts a note of dynamism that is in deliberate contrast with the more static marching troops. Designs like this, which reveal a new aesthetic approach, also betray a care for the special needs of the weaver's art. They are easier, and thus less costly, to translate into the tapestry medium. IV Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Henri Lerambert

Children on Horseback and Soldiers 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national While the depiction of marching troops in other tapestries is still based on Antoine Caron's style, the "new" approach seen here shows a capacity for innovation. The composition is firmly set in its period by the caparison, in widespread use at the court of Henri II, and may have been intended to mitigate the more martial mood of the other tapestries. Also, it may occasionally have been used to decorate young Louis XIII's chamber (although no specific record of such a use exists). Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Fencing Lesson 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national Another scene devoted to the young prince's education. In a palace courtyard framed by columns and pilasters and adorned with statues, young King Lygdamis bears a shield on his left arm and a sword in his right hand as he trains with his master-at-arms, whose age contrasts with his youth. As in The Riding Lesson, Queen Artemisia is watching the scene and appears to be commenting on it. "Barberini” Hera modelled on a 5th century B.C. original plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Henri Lerambert Soldiers with Vases and a Litter 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national Two other tapestries besides this one (The Two Statues and A Captain on Horseback) depict a dreamlike classical world revisited in the spirit of the Italian Quattrocento and Cinquecento, with soldiers from the ancient world portrayed in imaginary garb. The subject owes a huge debt to artists such as Mantegna (Triumphs of Caesar) or to two wall hangings by Giulio Romano, the Triumph of Scipio and the Fructus Belli, in the castle of Fontainebleau. The subject, originally linked to the death of King Mausolus, loses its funereal connotation in Lerambert's reappraisal and takes on an altogether more joyful tone.

Roman vase with storks modelled on a Roman original plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory Trumpeters on Foot 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The selvedge on all the larger tapestries bears the trademark of François de La Planche (the initials FVP stand for Frans van der Plancken), while the smaller tapestries carry the mark of another workshop identified by the initials FM. This suggests that the work for these two series of hangings was shared out between two workshops in the Faubourg Saint-Marcel on the basis of their format. Giulio Romano's influence is unmistakable in this kind of composition. Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Manoeuvres of the Armies 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier National The design here lacks the joyful feel of the preceding pieces that suggest the atmosphere of the tourney. Here we are involved in a real war; indeed the deployment of infantry platoons, harquebusiers, and cavalry seems to have been inspired by the engravings of Jacques Tortorel and Jean-Jacques Perrissin. It is interesting to see the use of the bird's eye view, which allows the observer to grasp all the maneuvers in one fell swoop. Caron's mannerist style is particularly noticeable in the figures in the foreground. "Little Devil” copy of a work by Giambologna, formerly on the corner of via dei Vecchietti and via Strozzi plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Two Statues (right side) 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold

Paris, Mobilier national The Artemisia tapestries comprise two groups that were separated in the 17th century. The eight medium-sized pieces are known to have formed part of the Earl of Carlisle's collection in England in the 18th century, while another six larger pieces and one entre-fenêtre have never left the collections of the Garde-meuble de la Couronne, the royal wardrobe known today as the Mobilier national. The Earl of Carlisle's tapestries, which included this one and the lefthand panel of The Two Statues, were put up for sale in 1999 and were purchased by the Mobilier national in 2006 with help from investment bank Natixis. Bust of Menelaus modelled on a 3rd century B.C. original plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte VI Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Two Statues (left side) 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The queen is shown making a symbolic mark on the forehead of the chained city of Rhodes. The tapestry cycle uses the citizens of Rhodes to represent the Huguenots, whom the queen was attempting to bring back into the fold both with the use of force and through treaties. In this tapestry cycle, real and imaginary sculpted figures are distinguished from one another only by the color of their flesh. Their garb and their armor define their shapes and stances in an almost identical manner, so that all emotion is filtered out and the onlooker is able to take a detached view of the events taking place. Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Queen Distributing the Booty 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national Artemisia, seen in profile seated on a throne, is surrounded by treasure and war booty that she is preparing to share out among the victorious troops gathered before her after the capture of Rhodes. The scene is structured in several different registers, and the main characters in the foreground are placed as they would be in a bas-relief. The background, on the other hand, is differentiated by the depiction of a palace, a city, and a palm forest which lend spatial depth to the scene. The still life

comprising precious objects in the foreground and the group of soldiers gathering around the general are extraodinarily skillful renditions. The recent restoration of this piece allows us to savor the full variety and brilliance of its colors. Oval shield depicting “Paradise Lost” plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Antoine Caron The Colossus of Rhodes (The Queen’s Entry into the Harbour of Rhodes) 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The only true war scene in the cycle is played down. There is the suggestion of fighting taking place in the background, but the foreground cancels out any dramatic effect it may have had. Our gaze focuses on the Colossus of Rhodes, with Artemisia's ship sailing between its legs, entering Rhodes through cunning and subduing the island's population. The huge statue of the sun god indicating the entrance to the port thanks to the silver mirror around its neck was considered one of the seven wonders of the world, but its presence is an anchronism because it was actually erected after Artemisia's death. Artemisia's war against Rhodes alludes to Caterina de' Medici's struggle to reunite a country, France, torn apart by civil strife. Mask of Alexander from the Quirinale Colossus, 3rd century B.C. plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte Faubourg Saint-Marcel Manufactory after a drawing by Henri Lerambert Soldiers Carrying Trophies 1st decade of the 17th century wool, silk, silver, gold Paris, Mobilier national The scene shows a small group of soldiers marching forward as though they were taking part in a "triumph", the ancient ceremony with which the Senate would celebrate a victorious general's return. The general would drive through Rome on a chariot preceded by his men carrying the booty of war.

Cicero’s Cuirass plaster Florence, Istituto Statale d’Arte

VII Restoring Artemisia to Legend

Artemisia, queen of ancient Caria in Asia Minor, was famous for taking over the reins of government on the death of her brother and husband Mausolus, whom she chose to commemorate by erecting a splendid and imposing temple to his memory, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Artemisia is one of the "famous women" in Petrarch's Triumphs, but it was Giovanni Boccaccio who merged two ancient queens: the queen of Halicarnassus, Artemisia the wife of Mausolus; and an earlier Artemisia who accompanied Xerxes on his expedition against Greece in 480 B.C., fought valiantly at Salamis and ruled on her son's behalf. Houel's biography, the leitmotiv running through these tapestries linked to Maria and Caterina de' Medici, underscored this aspect of Artemisia's personality. 17th century painting, on the other hand, tended to portray Artemisia in her moment of her private grief, reflecting the theatrical mood that dominated the age. The most popular episode in the story at that time was the dramatic moment when the queen drinks her husband's ashes after mixing them with water (or possibly with wine, or tears – sources differ), thus offering her own body as his living tomb. This gave painters an opportunity to depict rich and sumptuous clothing and furnishings, as well as spectacular examples of the goldsmith's art in the drinking vessel and the urn containing Mausolus' ashes. A selection of extremely precious objets d'art on display in this room echo the splendor of those vessels, adding a lifelike three-dimensional quality to the visit. Francesco Curradi (Florence 1570–1661) Artemisia Drinks Mausolus’ Ashes 1623–5 oil on canvas Florence, Villa Medicea della Petraia The picture, which shows Queen Artemisia drinking her husband Masoulus's ashes outside his funeral monument, was commissioned to Francesco Curradi by Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena of Austria (Cosimo II's widow) for the villa of Poggio Imperiale. The room, which was completed between 1623 and 1625, included a cycle of frescoes devoted to ancient and modern queens and empresses who had had an impact on the history of Christianity. On the table we see the urn containing Mausolus's ashes while the queen, wearing her crown, moves away with a cup in her hand. The artist provides a theatrical interpretation of the heroic female figure veined with melancholy, tailoring it to the importance of a grand-ducal commission.

Domenico Fetti (Florence/Rome 1591/2–Venice 1623) Artemisia c. 1613 oil on canvas Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Vassar College, Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Gift of Alessandra Manning Dolnier, class of 1982, Kurt A. Dolnier, class of 1981, and The Robert Lee Manning and Bertina Suida Manning Charitable Trust in honor of Pamela Askew, Professor Emeritus of Art Only the outline of a large building hints at Artemisia. The customary iconographical features associated with Mausolus are missing, while the quiver with its arrows and the breastplate seem to be intended to identify her as a warrior. The female head-and-shoulders bust shows the influence of Florentine painter Lodovico Cigoli, one of Fetti's masters in Rome. Cesare Dandini (Florence 1596–1657) Artemisia c. 1650 oil on canvas Florence, Galleria Corsini Seen diagonally, and wearing not widow's weeds but a costume that is almost theatrically gorgeous, the queen's entry into the painted space is nothing if not forceful. The urn carrying the ashes with its anthopomorphic handle and the mannerist cup harking back to the Florentine goldsmith's art are two masterpieces of applied art. The records show that the artist received payment from the Corsini in 1650 for, among other things, a number of oval pictures. 17th-century Tuscan artist Artemisia c. 1650–60 oil on canvas; 79.4 x 66.7 cm New Haven, Conn., Yale University Art Gallery, Gift of Walter L. Ehrich, Ph.B. 1899, and Harold L. Ehrich, B.A. 1902, in memory of their father, Louis R. Ehrich, B.A. 1869 The picture, which has been attributed in the past to Francesco Furini, Cesare Dandini and Felice Ficherelli, is certainly in the Florentine manner if we look at the cup and the urn from which the heroine is preparing to remove the ashes with a spoon. But the manly pride portrayed is reminiscent of the prevailing cultural climate in Rome, or of Roman influence on Florence, while a certain naturalistic vein brings to mind the Sienese painter Bernardino Mei. Other names put forward include that of portait painter Antonio Franchi from Lucca, a pupil of Ficherelli, or even that of Pietro Paolini.

Bernardino Mei (Siena 1612–Rome 1676) Artemisia About to Drink the Ashes of Her Husband Mausolus Mixed with Water c. 1653–4 oil on canvas Siena, Monte dei Paschi di Siena The picture contains elements designed to point unequivocally to the queen's identity as, attended by four maid servants, she sits at the center of the composition after taking the brimming cup from the tray. On the left we see the Mausoleum, rendered as a stepped pyramid surmounted by the statue of a knight, while a handmaiden on bended knee holds a large urn bearing the inscription: CINIS MAVSOLI[S] RE[GIS]. The painting shows the unmistakble influence of Mattia Preti, whose work had such a profound impact on Sienese art, particularly in the diagonal pose of the figures and in the face of the handmaiden holding out the cup to the queen. Giovan Gioseffo Dal Sole (Bologna 1654–1719) Artemisia Receives the Ashes of Her Husband Mausolus c. 1690–5 oil on canvas Rome, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Palazzo Corsini Artemisia, swathed in puffed silk drapery, is accompanied by her entourage, in which a small black page stands out from the other figures. Iconographic clues to her identity include the urn containing Mausolus's ashes, held by the old woman on the far left, the cup in the queen's hands and the round funeral monument (different in shape once again from the descriptions contained in the historical records) in the background. The picture, by Gian Gioseffo Dal Sole, a graceful pupil of Lorenzo Pasinelli, was part of Bolognese Senator Antonio Bovio's collection. Francesco Cairo (Milan 1607–65) Artemisia c. 1640–5 oil on canvas Pavia, Musei Civici, Pinacoteca Malaspina The female figure here has also been interpreted as Pandora with her famous box that contained all the evil in the world, because the low neckline does not appear to be in keeping with the stern personality of Artemisia, her own husband's living tomb. The putto or cherub seems to point almost mischievously to charms that are the very opposite of a widow's mourning, but the column, barely hinted at, may well be an allusion to the Mausoleum. On the artist's death, his workshop was found to contain seven paintings devoted to Artemisia, a subject that may well be rooted in the painter's ties with the House of Savoy, where Madama Reale, Christine of France, was eager to be seen as a latter-day Artemisia personifying a widow's loyalty (although hardly in such immodest attire).

Girolamo Forabosco (Venice 1605–Padua 1679) Suicide of Sophonisba (or Artemisia Drinks the Ashes of Her Husband Mausolus) c. 1660 oil on canvas Cesena, Pinacoteca Comunale The young woman is preparing to take her life by swallowing the cup's contents, while the other female figure looks on in anguish. The painting probably depicts Sophonisba's enforced suicide. The building fragment may be an allusion to the Mausoleum but the urn containing Mausolus's ashes and the jug with the mixing liquid are both absent, while the cup is shown. The two heroines, Artemisia and Sophonisba, are often depicted drinking from a cup: Sophonisba, a Carthaginian noblewoman, was an enemy of Rome but she was the wife of Massinissa, an African king who was Rome's ally. Massinissa was asked to send his wife to Rome as a hostage, but the woman chose to drink poison rather than end up as a prisoner in the hands of her enemies of old. Hans Domes (active in the last part of the 16th century) Boat-shaped vase last quarter of the 16th century lapis lazuli and enamelled gold Florence, Museo degli Argenti Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (Montevarchi 1656-1740) Marble Urn with cherub handles embracing swan Tournai marble, silver gilt and bronze Florence, Galleria Palatina Paul Huebner Aquamanile and Tray c. 1580-1590 silver gilt Florence, Museo degli Argenti