When considering the patronage of Maria de Medici following her return from exile in 1621, one must take into account the forty-eight monumental paintings she commissioned from Peter Paul Rubens. The contract between artist and patron specified two sets of twenty-four canvases: one dedicated to the life of Maria and the other to the life of King Henry IV. Maria intended the paintings to illustrate her continuation of the King's policies and the legitimacy of her own rule---themes that echoed her vast propaganda campaign. One reason for numerous scholarly interpretations of the Medici series is the incomplete nature of the Henry cycle. This thesis supports the idea espoused by one, and possibly two scholars (and then only in a selected fashion), that Maria and Henry's lives must be understood as unified and complementary in order to interpret the original commission correctly. Through the investigation of all extant material relating to the king's gallery, and how it contributes to the viewer's understanding of the Queen's gallery, as well as Maria's objectives, this idea comes into focus.

In 1622 Maria de Medici commissioned two series of twenty four paintings for the galleries in her new home in the Palais du Luxembourg from the renowned artist Peter Paul Rubens. The Henri cycle was to illustrate the "triumphs" of her late husband the King, and the Maria cycle was to illustrate the Queen's "illustrious life and heroic deeds". This thesis proposes that the Maria de Medici cycle cannot be disassociated from the Henri IV cycle because the Queen's intention was to present her reign as a continuation of his and to prove that she was equally capable to rule the French nation. Chosen by Henri as his successor, Maria overcame obstacles that originated in his reign and that jeopardised the throne for her son and the Bourbon line. / Although the Henri IV cycle was never completed, the paintings and sketches that exist make it possible to link the two galleries by the pivotal event of marriage. The Maria cycle addresses and resolves issues stemming from this union. The repetition of specific images and themes in the two cycles represents Maria's unique qualifications and reinforces the equality of the two sovereigns. Maria completed the mandate that Henri authorised her to carry out, ensuring peace at home and in Europe, thus justifying her designation as a heroine Queen.

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No description available.

Marie de' Medici began the 'jardin du Luxembourg' during her Regency for Louis XIII. As Henry IV's queen, she had clung tenaciously to her Italian family heritage and as her upbringing had close associations with the spectacular 'giardino di Boboli', she was thus inspired to utilize it as the prototype for her Parisian garden. The validation of Marie de' Medici's success lies in the investigation of both gardens to determine the recurring features and to ascertain their precise chronology. Evidence suggests that some replicated features were well known to Marie, the 'Grotta Grande', the original layout and the amphitheatre's general form; while other features, the 'Isolotto' and the amphitheatre's stone seating, were not. These were realized either concurrently or even later than similar features at Luxembourg: a factor overlooked by historians who habitually cite the formative role of Boboli at Luxembourg.

Le règne d’Henri IV est incontestablement l’un des plus importants de l’histoire de France, et les ouvrages qui ont été consacrés à ce monarque sont innombrables. De plus, la musique a également retenu un grand intérêt parmi les chercheurs, et des études précédentes ont apporté des éléments édifiants concernant plusieurs aspects de la vie musicale durant ce règne, notamment sur les compositeurs en contact avec sa cour (comme Pierre Guédron et Eustache Du Caurroy) et sur les genres les plus populaires à cette époque (les chansons, les airs de cours, et les ballets). Or, une étude historique de la musique à la cour d’Henri IV, comparable à celles qui ont été faites par Christelle Cazaux et Isabelle Handy pour les autres cours françaises du XVIe siècle, restait à faire. L’objet de cette thèse est donc de préciser la place de la musique lors de la célébration des événements politiques et l’identité des musiciens qui travaillaient à la cour d’Henri IV. Elle est présentée en trois parties principales. La première partie est consacrée à l’étude des aspects qui ont contribué au développement de la musique pendant ce règne, dont la place de cet art dans la formation aristocratique et les goûts musicaux personnels de la famille royale. La deuxième partie se concentre sur le fonctionnement des différents corps musicaux de la cour (la Chapelle, la Chambre et l’Écurie). Enfin, une dernière partie évalue le rôle tenu par la musique dans les événements de cour sous Henri IV, comme les mariages, les obsèques et les entrées royales, et elle intègre également un examen de la place de la musique dans les fêtes politiques et dans les entrées des grands personnages en France à cette époque. / The reign of Henry IV is undoubtedly one of the most important in the history of France, and countless works have been devoted to the study of this monarch. In addition, music from this period has also attracted the interest of scholars, and previous studies have shed light on several aspects of musical life during this reign, notably on the composers connected to Henry’s court (like Pierre Guédron and Eustache Du Caurroy) as well as on the most popular genres from this time (chansons, airs de cour and ballets). Nevertheless, a historical study of music at Henry IV’s court, comparable to those already completed by Christelle Cazaux and Isabelle Handy on the courts of other French monarchs during the sixteenth century, remained to be undertaken.The aim of this doctorate is thus to clarify both the place of music during the celebration of political events and the identity of musicians who worked at Henry IV’s court. It is divided into three main sections. The first focuses on aspects which contributed to the development of music during this reign, including the place of music within noble training and the personal musical inclinations of the royal family. The second concentrates on the function of the different musical groups at court (the Chapel, the Chamber and the Stables). Finally, the last section examines the role of music in court events under Henry IV, such as marriages, funeral ceremonies and royal entries, and this section also encompasses a discussion of music’s place in political events and in the entries of important dignitaries in France at this time.

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En 1631, Marie de Médicis (1573-1642), reine de France, opposée à la politique de Richelieu, quitte précipitamment le royaume pour trouver refuge à la cour de Bruxelles. Jusqu’à sa mort en 1642, elle ne réussit jamais, malgré maintes tentatives, à rentrer en France. Elle vit dans les Pays-Bas espagnols jusqu’en 1639, puis, après un bref passage dans les Provinces-Unies, à Londres jusqu’en 1641, pour finir ses jours à Cologne. Alors que la guerre de Trente ans déchire l’Europe, Marie de Médicis tisse des liens avec les princes, mais aussi avec d’autres émigrés français, tels que Gaston d’Orléans ou la duchesse de Chevreuse. A travers cette situation exceptionnelle, nous étudions les réseaux, officiels ou secrets, qui se font et se défont autour de ces émigrés. La mise en place des réseaux et leur bon fonctionnement sont assurés par des hommes, ambassadeurs, courtisans, serviteurs, qui ont chacun des profils et des ambitions différents. Leurs histoires individuelles permettent de restituer la logique organique de cet ensemble complexe et mouvant à travers lequel circulent des nouvelles. Celles-ci sont analysées du point de vue matériel de leur support et de leur acheminement, mais aussi en fonction de leur contenu, qui varie selon les circonstances et les tensions politiques du moment. La circulation et les mutations de l’information ont sur la diplomatie des incidences qu’il faut évaluer. De plus, elles reflètent des idées politiques et révèlent des codes, des symboles, des représentations et des comportements particuliers. La mise en scène de l’information devient alors un objet d’étude fondamental. / In 1631, Mary de’ Médici (1573-1642), queen mother of the French king, opposed to Richelieu’s government, precipitately leaves the kingdom to find shelter at the court of Brussels. Until her death in 1642, she never succeeds, in spite of many attempts, to be allowed to come back to France. She lives in the Spanish Netherlands from 1631 to 1639. Then, after a short passage through the United Provinces, she stays in London until 1641, to move out again to Cologne, where she finally dies. Whereas the Thirty Years War tears Europe to pieces, Mary de’ Médici weaves bonds not only with foreign princes, but also with other French banned emigrants, such as Gaston of Orleans or the duchess of Chevreuse. The study of this outstanding situation reveals official or secret networks, which are built up and undone around those emigrants. The making and good working of those networks are ensured by a pool of ambassadors, courtiers, servants, who have various profiles and follow different purposes. By rebuilding the individual stories of these men, we can disclose the organic logic of this complex and moving party, in which the news arise and flow. We try to provide an analysis from the point of view of the material support and routing of information, but also according to its content, which may vary following the peculiar circumstances and political issues. The circulation and changes of the news affect the diplomatic deeds in a way that must be investigated and explained. Moreover, information, as a mirror of political thoughts, is reflecting codes, symbols, representations and behaviors. Therefore, the setting and showing of information can be seen as a significant matter for political studies.

The Marillac were one of the most important noble families in early modern France. My analysis of this pivotal and deeply political family during the turbulent era of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1629) examines and explains the importance of the interaction of familial alliances, religion and diplomacy in the making of the state. This period represents a critical moment in the process of state development. In contrast to prevailing studies of early modern state formation that concentrate on a centrally-directed program, this dissertation argues that it was the expansion of family strategy, and its interplay with religion and diplomacy, that drove the ongoing construction of the early modern state. There was no blueprint for the creation of this state. Rather, it was born out of an accretion of policies formed by politically important clans working to advance their familial interests. By closely tracing the fortunes of the Marillac clan through archives and research libraries in France, this study discloses the nature of power in early modern Europe in its daily, practical manifestations. My project reaffirms the agency of the family and the individual in the making of the state. It showcases the importance of religious devotion to the formation of family strategy, and especially how Marillac women were drivers of this devotion. My research demonstrates how one family successfully negotiated the Wars of Religion. Additionally, I discuss the impactful role of the individual diplomat in the practice of foreign affairs. Finally, by tracing the fortunes of the Marillac family, I show how a family not only rises to power, but falls, as well as the consequences and limits of disgrace. My research will therefore contribute to the fields of early modern state-building, diplomacy, religious politics, and women and gender through the prism of Marillac family strategy and its interaction with religion and diplomacy.