Of all the masterpieces in the Louvre, none has a more appropriate home than the 24 paintings glorifying the life and reign of Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France. Painted by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens, the series known as the “Marie de’ Medici Cycle” (1622–1625), are among the greatest artistic achievements of their age….
Marie de’ Medici and the Continuation of the Medici Family Art Patronage
Finding Freedom in God’s Law: ‘Daniel in the Lions’ Den’
Daniel was a devout Jew during the time of King Darius’s reign. Darius, the king of Persia around the sixth and fifth centuries B.C., was friendly toward the Jews and even played an important role in the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed it. King Darius admired Daniel and sought to…
An Elite Friendship: Diego Velázquez and Peter Paul Rubens
In 1629, Diego Velázquez left Spain for his first visit to Italy. Although one of his country’s leading artists and court painter to King Philip IV, this was still an opportunity not to be missed. At the Spanish court, Velázquez had access to Philip’s impressive art collection, but he had not seen examples of work…
A Charming Gift for His King: ‘Las Meninas’
A child’s soft giggle echoes down the palace hall. Heavy skirts rustle. A lady-in-waiting enters and holds the door of the Cuarto del Principe (“Prince’s Room”) in the Alcázar Palace in Madrid, Spain. In comes a 5-year-old child, royal to be sure, to the spacious studio of the court’s chief painter, the eminent Diego Velázquez…
Rubens’ ‘Portrait of a Lady’ Sells for $3.4 Million
WARSAW, Poland—Peter Paul Rubens’ 17th century masterpiece “Portrait of a Lady” has sold for the equivalent of $3.4 million at a Warsaw auction, becoming the most expensive artwork ever bought on the Polish art market, the auction house said. The painting sold for 14.4 million zlotys, auction fee included, at an Old Masters auction Thursday…
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