Pieter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), After - L'Incoronazione di Maria de' Medici a Saint-Denis

After PIETER PAUL RUBENS
(Siegen, 1577 – Anversa, 1640)
The Coronation of Mary de' Medici at Saint-Denis
Oil on canvas, cm. 100 x 183

NOTE: Publication catalog of works of the Intermidiart collection. Certificate of Legitimate Provenance. Work without frame:

We present in the catalog a splendid oil on canvas, an authentic painting jewel executed with notable technical skill, reproducing the famous monumental composition conceived by Pieter Paul Rubens for the celebrated cycle of the Luxembourg Palace. At the center of the scene, Queen Mary 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.
On the right of the sovereign, the cardinals Gondi and de Sourdis assist, whose purple robes dominate the right portion of the canvas. On the left, the court and ladies-in-waiting attend 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 an elevated tribune, the discreet figure of Henry IV observes the event. In the lower right, in the foreground, complete the scene with the Medici lineage’s companion dogs.
The work under examination constitutes an accurate and refined late 19th-century derivative of Rubens' masterwork executed between 1622 and 1625, today preserved at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
During the 19th century, in a Romantic and historicist climate, the rediscovery of the Baroque and the great masters of color led many academic painters to frequent the Louvre halls to practice the monumental "Gallery of the Medici." The author of this canvas demonstrates a deep understanding of Rubens' complex scenographic machinery. Even with microscopic technical variations dictated by pigments and the 19th-century academic imprint — detectable in a painting slightly more controlled than the comprehensive and vibrant original brushwork of the Flemish master — the canvas faithfully renders the chiaroscuro structure, the splendor of the draperies, and the complex spatial dynamics of the original composition. The work qualifies as an excellent example of 19th-century collecting tied to the taste for grand history painting.
The painting is in good overall condition and retains excellent structural solidity. The original canvas maintains proper tension on its 19th-century wooden frame.
The color is well bound to the support and shows no risk of detachment. A natural and widespread craquelure from aging is visible, typical of the period, which does not disturb the reading of the work. Only minimal abrasions from rubbing along the edges in contact with the frame and small archival pictorial retouches on the dark tones of the background are noted, detectable under UV light. The surface varnish shows physiological yellowing due to time. This light patina dulls the brilliance of the whites and blues, but preserves the overall balance of the scene.
The condition report we provide is to be understood as accurate and scrupulous but in any case absolutely 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 accompanied by a beautiful gilded wooden frame.

PROVENANCE: Private Collection

PUBLICATION:
 INEDITA 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 the Italian territory, the buyer will have to wait for the processing times of export procedures.