Henri IV and Maria de Medici [top half]

Art Historical Context

Behold this delicate engraving, *Henri IV and Maria de Medicitop half]*, crafted by Dutch artist Simon de Passe between 1551 and 1600. Measuring just 6.2 ×5.4 cm, this intimate print was pulled directly from a silver medal engraved by the artist himself—a clever technique blending sculpture and printmaking. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosen Collection (Department CG-E), it captures the regal profiles of France's King Henri IV and queen consort, Maria de Medici, in a format ideal for dissemination among Europe's elite. In the late Renaissance era, such medals and their engravings served as portable propaganda, celebrating royal power and alliances. Henri IV, famed for issuing the Edict of Nantes in 1598 to promote religious tolerance after decades of civil war, married Maria in 1600 to secure political and financial ties with Italy. This "top half" likely focuses on their noble busts, emphasizing dignity and lineage in a time when portrait medals were prized collectibles. De Passe's meticulous line work highlights the era's advances in reproductive printmaking, allowing widespread admiration of royal likenesses. A testament to artistry's role in politics, this piece invites you to ponder how tiny images shaped grand narratives of power.

About the Artist

Simon de Passe · 1590–1647

Simon de Passe (c. 1595–1647), born in Cologne to the renowned Dutch engraver and publisher Crispijn van de Passe the Elder and his wife Magdalene, grew up in a family dynasty of printmakers who had fled Antwerp due to religious persecution as Anabaptists. The second son among five siblings—four of whom became engravers, including brothers Crispijn II and Willem, and sister Magdalena—he trained un...