Pieter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

After PIETER PAUL RUBENS (Siegen, 1577 – Antwerp, 1640) The Coronation of Maria de' Medici at Saint-Denis Oil on canvas, cm. 100 x 183 NOTE: Publication catalog of the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Legitimacy of Provenance. Work without frame: We present in the catalog a splendid oil painting on canvas, a genuine painterly jewel executed with notable technical skill, reproducing the famous monumental composition devised by Pieter Paul Rubens for the renowned cycle of the Luxembourg Palace. In the center of the scene, Queen Maria de' Medici is depicted kneeling on the steps of the altar of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, captured in the solemn moment when she receives the crown from Cardinal Joyeuse's hands. On the queen's right, the cardinals Gondi and de Sourdis assist, whose purple garments dominate the right portion of the canvas. To the left, the court and the maids of honor observe the ceremony arranged in a studied diagonal line. In the upper section, allegorical figures and winged geniuses of Victory and Abundance float in the air, scattering gold coins over the queen, while in the background, from a raised tribune, the discreet figure of Henry IV watches the event. At the bottom right, in the foreground, complete the scene with the Medici’s spaniel-type lap dogs. The work under examination constitutes an accurate and refined late nineteenth-century derivative of Rubens' masterwork completed between 1622 and 1625, today conserved at the Louvre Museum in Paris. During the nineteenth century, in a climate of Romanticism and Historicism, the rediscovery of the Baroque and the great masters of color pushed many academic painters to frequent the Louvre galleries to practice on the monumental “Medici Gallery.” The author of this canvas shows a deep understanding of Rubens’ complex scenographic machinery. Even with the microscopic technical variations dictated by pigments and by the nineteenth-century academic imprint — detectable in a slightly more controlled painting style compared to the compendious and vibrant original brushwork of the Flemish master — the canvas faithfully reconstitutes the chiaroscuro structure, the opulence of the draperies, and the complex spatial dynamic of the original composition. The work qualifies as an excellent example of nineteenth-century collecting tied to the taste for grand history painting. The painting presents in good overall condition and retains excellent structural solidity. The original canvas maintains a correct tension on its nineteenth-century wooden frame. The color is well anchored to the support and shows no risks of flaking. A natural and widespread aging craquelure is visible, typical of the period, which does not hamper reading of the work. Only minimal edge abrasions from rubbing along contact with the frame and small archival touch-ups on the dark tones of the background are noticeable under UV light. The surface varnish shows a physiological yellowing due to time. This light patina dampens the brilliance of the whites and blues, but preserves the overall balance of the scene. This condition report provided by us is accurate and scrupulous but in any case partial and not entirely exhaustive, since it was not performed in specialized laboratories with specific technical supports. The dimensions of the large canvas are cm. 100 x 183. The painting is sold without frame, although it is adorned by a beautiful gold and worked wooden frame. PROVENANCE: Private Collection PUBLICATION: - UNPUBLISHED QUADRERIA, General Catalog of the paintings of the Intermidiart Gallery collection by Andrea Maggio, 2026 (pdf). The work will be shipped – due to fragility – with a wooden crate and polystyrene. In case of sale outside Italian territory, the purchaser must allow time for export procedures.

Estimate:£3,300.02

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