The Queen's arrival in Lyon (Marie de Médicis cycle) - Rubens
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Description
Interview between the King and Marie de Médicis in Lyon on November 9, 1600. Marie awaited the king's arrival in Lyon for a week, before their wedding ceremonies took place there on November 11, 1600. In this painting, the king and queen represent Jupiter and Juno.
The commission to Rubens stipulated:
"10. tableau. The Queen's arrival in Lyon.
King Henry the Great represented by Jupiter and the Queen by Juno, embracing; in the middle of the two is the Hymenaeus, and below five little loves holding torches in their hands; above their heads appears the rainbow and the star Hesperus ; below is a magnificent chariot on which is a woman representing the city of Lyon holding the city's arms; the chariot is drawn by two lions to represent all that was done at the entry of the King and Queen into Lyon. "
(Bnf Ms Baluze, 323, fol. 54, transcription Foucart et Thuillier, corr. Hénin et Cojannot)
Rubens divided the Amours into three behind Henri IV as Jupiter and two on the backs of the lions of Lyon.The 5 Amours are the allegory of the 5 representatives of the royal race (the 5 future children of the Queen, see Birth of Louis XIII). The star Hesperus is Venus, who doubles as Hymen at the top center. The rainbow, top left, symbolizes union.
3. Esquisse de 1622 à l’Ermitage, voir reproduction couleur dans Maria Varchavskaia, Rubens. La Sensualité de la vie, n°21, p. 98. Sur le modèle de ce tableau, Jean-Baptiste Huet dessine en 1775 le Sacre de Louis XVI. Voir la gravure en couleurs de Briceau intitulée « L’Heureux jour de la France ». Cote Bnf Estampes Qb1 1775 11 juin, cliché 55B16251, 63C20566.
Technical Data
Notice #000867