WEBVTT 00:00:04.208 --> 00:00:05.475 STEVEN: We're in the Louvre, 00:00:05.475 --> 00:00:11.532 and we are looking at the monumental cycle by Peter Paul Rubens of Marie de Medici. 00:00:11.532 --> 00:00:17.949 There are 24 canvases that were painted by Rubens over a four year period with the help of his workshop. 00:00:17.949 --> 00:00:20.475 Now according to the contract, he had to paint all the figures 00:00:20.475 --> 00:00:24.181 but his assistants could certainly paint in much of the rest. 00:00:24.181 --> 00:00:29.199 This is a major commision by one of the most powerful women in Europe at this time, 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:30.836 if not the most powerful woman. 00:00:30.836 --> 00:00:33.117 Her father was the Duke of Tuscany, 00:00:33.117 --> 00:00:35.342 and her husband was Henry IV, King of France. 00:00:35.342 --> 00:00:39.846 This cycle is a commemoration of the major events of her life. 00:00:39.846 --> 00:00:41.748 Although, I have to come out and say it, 00:00:41.748 --> 00:00:44.652 it is absurd in its grandeur. 00:00:44.652 --> 00:00:46.904 It is completey over the top. 00:00:46.904 --> 00:00:50.406 This is the woman who had some significant events in her life, 00:00:50.406 --> 00:00:53.310 but certainly was extremely wealthy and extremely powerful. 00:00:53.310 --> 00:01:00.152 Nevertheless, Rubens clearly had to struggle and bring in every mythological stage prop that he could 00:01:00.152 --> 00:01:05.974 in order to complete a cycle that was, we can only say, dedicated to her ego. 00:01:05.974 --> 00:01:09.948 In reality, she had an interesting and problematic life. 00:01:09.948 --> 00:01:15.615 There were quite a number of scandals, and not least of which was when her son, who would be Louis XIII. 00:01:15.615 --> 00:01:20.947 He was too young to take the throne, and so she was in control of France as regent. 00:01:20.947 --> 00:01:26.713 But then when he finally came to age, she continued to reign. She wouldn't let him to ascend to the throne 00:01:26.713 --> 00:01:31.052 and when he was finally old enough and had the authority to be able to say, "No, it's my turn," 00:01:31.052 --> 00:01:35.307 he actually banished her from France and he wouldn't allow her to came back for years. 00:01:35.307 --> 00:01:37.075 BETH: And you get the sense of why, 00:01:37.075 --> 00:01:41.144 because she was obviously very ambitous, very powerful 00:01:41.144 --> 00:01:45.370 and it might have been hard to rule in her presence 00:01:45.370 --> 00:01:46.281 STEVEN: In her shadow. 00:01:46.281 --> 00:01:50.782 Let's take a look at the ninth painting in this series of 24. 00:01:50.782 --> 00:01:54.309 It is when she is coming to France from Italy. 00:01:54.309 --> 00:01:56.911 It's called the "The Disembarkation at Marseilles," 00:01:56.911 --> 00:02:03.198 and, you know, to get off a ship is not usually not seen as a particularly triumphant moment, 00:02:03.198 --> 00:02:09.409 but Rubens is able to make this seem as if it, itself, is a triumphant moment. 00:02:09.409 --> 00:02:10.780 BETH: Right, she is the queen, 00:02:10.780 --> 00:02:15.081 Victory above her with trumpts announcing her arrival. 00:02:15.081 --> 00:02:17.217 STEVEN: That's right. Not just one, but two trumpets. 00:02:17.217 --> 00:02:22.541 BETH: This is the beginning of her fulfillment of her destiny as Queen of France. 00:02:22.541 --> 00:02:26.009 STEVEN: And we see France personified by a figure 00:02:26.009 --> 00:02:28.412 that seems to be preparing to kneel before her 00:02:28.412 --> 00:02:31.648 wearing a blue cape of gold fleur de lys. 00:02:31.648 --> 00:02:34.654 BETH: Which is the symbol of the royal family of France 00:02:34.654 --> 00:02:37.241 STEVEN: Behind her is a Knight of Malta that looks on. 00:02:37.241 --> 00:02:40.366 This fabulous ship, just heavily wrought. 00:02:40.366 --> 00:02:45.698 This sky, in the most baroque fashion is just swirling and full of energy, 00:02:45.698 --> 00:02:49.285 but that's nothing with compared to what goes on below the gangplank. 00:02:49.285 --> 00:02:54.308 BETH: That's right. We have three nereids or sea nymphs below her 00:02:54.308 --> 00:02:58.781 along with the gods of the sea, writhe and turn. 00:02:58.781 --> 00:03:01.215 STEVEN: Almost as if they are the the sea themselves. 00:03:01.215 --> 00:03:03.531 It's as if their bodies are waves. 00:03:03.531 --> 00:03:06.403 There's this just tremendous energy and real beauty. 00:03:06.403 --> 00:03:10.243 I mean, look at the colors and the understanding of the torsion of the body. 00:03:10.243 --> 00:03:14.979 BETH: The drama of their poses contrast with the stateliness 00:03:14.979 --> 00:03:17.949 and the grandeur of Marie de Medici above. 00:03:17.949 --> 00:03:19.816 STEVEN: You'll noticed that they are actually assisting 00:03:19.816 --> 00:03:24.116 by holding the ship fast to the land so that she can walk easily. 00:03:24.116 --> 00:03:28.281 BETH: They enabled the pagan gods and goddesses, and figures of victory, 00:03:28.281 --> 00:03:32.865 are all there at the service of Marie de Medici's destiny as Queen 00:03:32.865 --> 00:03:35.615 And it's strange, she's a little bit set back 00:03:35.615 --> 00:03:41.307 compared to the sea nymphs who really occupy more than a third of the canvas. 00:03:41.307 --> 00:03:45.115 STEVEN: Okay, so I think we've made the point that it's completely over the top, 00:03:45.115 --> 00:03:47.881 but let's get really close and take a look at the paint. BETH: Okay 00:03:47.881 --> 00:03:53.782 STEVEN: So the painting is hung in such a way that it starts about four feet off the floor, 00:03:53.782 --> 00:03:56.475 so that we only really look up at the sea gods and nereids. 00:03:56.475 --> 00:03:59.811 In Rubens's characteristic handling of paint, 00:03:59.811 --> 00:04:02.447 there is just a tremendous sense of motion and energy. 00:04:02.447 --> 00:04:05.949 I am really struck by the beard and the grey hair 00:04:05.949 --> 00:04:07.585 of the sea god in the foreground. 00:04:07.585 --> 00:04:09.404 If you look directly under him 00:04:09.404 --> 00:04:12.409 you can see what look like a raw strokes of paint. 00:04:12.409 --> 00:04:15.614 There's a kind of energy a kind of facility that Rubens has. 00:04:15.614 --> 00:04:17.880 And then look at the coloration of the nereids. 00:04:17.880 --> 00:04:23.054 They are full of pinks and yellows and greens and blues. 00:04:23.054 --> 00:04:25.638 BETH: and look at all the foreshortening that is going on. 00:04:25.638 --> 00:04:29.030 There's a post that one of the Nereids is holding onto 00:04:29.030 --> 00:04:32.481 and tying a rope around that's moving into our space. 00:04:32.481 --> 00:04:35.865 That sea god that you talked about a moment ago 00:04:35.865 --> 00:04:37.819 reaches his hand back into space. 00:04:37.819 --> 00:04:40.738 Everything in the bottom of this canvas is in motion. 00:04:40.738 --> 00:04:45.177 STEVEN: I am particularly taken by the way in which their eyes are absoulutely alive 00:04:45.177 --> 00:04:48.615 with specks of white paint which become this beautiful reflective surface. 00:04:48.615 --> 00:04:51.615 You also see that in the pearls in the hair of the women, 00:04:51.615 --> 00:04:55.271 and then you see it in the drips of water that come off their body. 00:04:55.271 --> 00:04:59.309 Now these 24 canvases were, of course, not originally arrayed in the Louvre. 00:04:59.309 --> 00:05:02.115 They were in the Palace of the Luxembourg Gardens, 00:05:02.115 --> 00:05:07.447 which was, in fact, Marie de Medici's own palace and that was built to remind her of Florence. 00:05:07.447 --> 00:05:10.672 BETH: It's really fun to go from one to the other 00:05:10.672 --> 00:05:15.343 and read the story of these great moments of her life.