Date : approx. between 1622 and 1625
Dimensions : 2,95 m x 3,94 m
Material : Oil on canvas
Acquisition : Sénat (1815)
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
| April 26, 1573
Item 2 on 24
Flemish and Northern Painting
Painting (Tableau historique)
Area related
Paris (France)
Site related :
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| Description |  |
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The cycle's second painting, The Birth of the Princess, represents de' Medici's April 26, 1573 birth. Symbols and allegory appear throughout the painting. On the left, two putti play with a shield on which the Medici crest appears, suggesting that Heaven favored the young de' Medici from the moment of her birth. 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. The cornucopia above the infant's head can be interpreted as a harbinger of Marie's future glory and fortune; the lion may be seen as symbolic of power and strength. The glowing halo around the infant's head should not be seen as a reference to Christian imagery; rather, it should be read according to imperial iconography which uses the halo as an indication of the Queen's divine nature and of her future reign. Though Marie was born under the Taurus sign, Sagittarius appears in the painting; it may be seen as a guardian of imperial power.
| Item(s) related | |
Louvre Museum :
Marie de' Medici cycle
| The Council of the Gods
Tableau mythologique
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
Petrus Paulus Rubens
Sizes : 3,94 m x 7,02 m
circa from 1622 to 1625
|
 | Louis XIII Comes of Age
Tableau historique
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
Petrus Paulus Rubens
Sizes : 3,94 m x 2,95 m
circa from 1622 to 1625
|
 | The Negotiations at Angoulême
Tableau historique
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
Petrus Paulus Rubens
Sizes : 3,94 m x 2,95 m
circa from 1622 to 1625
|
 | The Queen Opts for Security
Tableau historique
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
Petrus Paulus Rubens
Sizes : 3,94 m x 2,95 m
circa from 1622 to 1625
|
 | The Triumph of Truth
Tableau historique
Ecole flamande - Période Baroque
Petrus Paulus Rubens
Sizes : 3,94 m x 1,60 m
circa from 1622 to 1625
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Rubens et la peinture flamande du XVIIème siècle - I
| Related article(s) | |
Commande de la reine Marie de Médicis à Rubens
En 1622, la reine Marie de Médicis, veuve d'Henri IV et mère de Louis XIII, commande à Rubens une suite de vingt-quatre tableaux pour décorer la galerie occidentale du premier étage de son palais du Luxembourg à Paris (actuel Sénat).
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