Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici
Medal
1603 (made)
1603 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The medal depicts the busts of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici on the obverse and, on the reverse, Henri and Marie as Mars and Minerva, with the Dauphin as an infant.
The Roman goddess Minerva (equivalent to the Greek Pallas Athena) was the goddess of wisdom and the arts. One of her frequent attributes is the owl. Mars was the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians. He was widely considered brutal and aggressive and disliked by other gods including his parents, Jupiter and Juno. The one exception was the goddess Venus, who fell in love with him.
In this context Minerva symbolises Wisdom, the arts and peace, defeating the destructive power of war, symbolised by Mars.
This medal is signed by Guillaume Dupré and dated 1603.
Dupré (about 1574 - 1640) was a French sculptor, medallist and architect.
The Roman goddess Minerva (equivalent to the Greek Pallas Athena) was the goddess of wisdom and the arts. One of her frequent attributes is the owl. Mars was the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians. He was widely considered brutal and aggressive and disliked by other gods including his parents, Jupiter and Juno. The one exception was the goddess Venus, who fell in love with him.
In this context Minerva symbolises Wisdom, the arts and peace, defeating the destructive power of war, symbolised by Mars.
This medal is signed by Guillaume Dupré and dated 1603.
Dupré (about 1574 - 1640) was a French sculptor, medallist and architect.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Medal, silver, of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici. French, 1603. |
| Physical description | Medal depicts: Henry IV of France and Marie de Medicis. Obv.: busts to the right; rev.: Henri and Marie as Mars and Minerva, with the Dauphin as an infant. Set in a rim an inch wide, with long French inscriptions. Signed: G. Dupré f. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | bought from the Bernal Collection |
| Historical context | Two other version entered into Sotheby's. London, Coins and Medals sale, July 5, 1994, lot. no. 63 (£ 935,-) and 64 (unsold) |
| Production | The inscribed rim is an unusual feature and clearly secondary to the making of the medal itself, as confirmed by the stippling on the fields of both sides of the medal. It is thought that the rim was added sometime in the 17th century. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The medal depicts the busts of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici on the obverse and, on the reverse, Henri and Marie as Mars and Minerva, with the Dauphin as an infant. The Roman goddess Minerva (equivalent to the Greek Pallas Athena) was the goddess of wisdom and the arts. One of her frequent attributes is the owl. Mars was the god of war, one of the twelve Olympians. He was widely considered brutal and aggressive and disliked by other gods including his parents, Jupiter and Juno. The one exception was the goddess Venus, who fell in love with him. In this context Minerva symbolises Wisdom, the arts and peace, defeating the destructive power of war, symbolised by Mars. This medal is signed by Guillaume Dupré and dated 1603. Dupré (about 1574 - 1640) was a French sculptor, medallist and architect. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2383-1855 |
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| Record created | May 1, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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