Christine de France, 1606-1663, Duchess of Savoy, Wife of Victor Amadeus I 1619, Regent 1637-1648 1635

This bronze medal depicting Christine de France was made by Guillaume Dupré in the early 17th century. It’s interesting to consider the public role of art in the context of courtly life and the politics of imagery at this time. Dupré's portrait of Christine, with its formal rendering of her royal status through her crown, dress, and title, tells us a lot about the social conditions that shaped artistic production. Dupré was appointed sculptor to the King, and he was also granted lodgings in the Louvre palace itself; this medal speaks to the close relationship between artistic production and the French court. As historians, we can understand the medal better by researching the political history of the French court in the 17th century and looking at the institutional histories of the Louvre and the royal artistic administration. Art is contingent on its social and institutional context.