Henri IV, Marie de Médicis and the Dauphin 1605

Guillaume Dupré created this bronze medal depicting Henri IV, Marie de Médicis, and their son, the Dauphin, in the early 17th century. It commemorates a dynastic union amidst religious and political conflict. Consider the power dynamics inherent in this representation. Henri IV, adorned in Roman military garb, symbolizes strength, while Marie de Médicis embodies imperial authority. This imagery attempts to legitimize their reign and quell the challenges to their power. Their son stands between them, representing the future of the monarchy. The choice of bronze, a material associated with classical antiquity, serves to elevate the status of the royal family, aligning them with the grandeur of past empires. Yet, we might ask, whose stories are being amplified, and whose are being erased in this narrative of power and succession? The medal then is a reminder that history is never a neutral recounting of facts, but a constructed narrative, shaped by those in positions of power.