Marie de Médicis (1573–1610) 1615

Editor: This striking metal medal, created by Guillaume Dupré in 1615, portrays Marie de Médicis. It's fascinating how this miniature captures so much detail. The Queen looks poised, but something about her gaze feels... well, almost melancholic. What story do you think this portrait is trying to tell? Curator: Ah, yes! There's a certain weight to her gaze, isn't there? It’s tempting to read it as melancholy, but consider the role of a Queen at that time. This isn’t just Marie de Médicis; it’s an emblem of power, of dynasty. This portrait is intended to project authority. Note the precise lettering and her elaborate ruff. It almost creates a sense of impenetrable status. Do you see that? Editor: I see what you mean. The ruff is definitely… intense. So you think it's more about controlled power than personal feeling? Curator: Exactly! I see her as regal, formal, but also, caught within the rigid framework of societal expectation, as much as gilded into it, by this rendering in metallic form. Editor: That makes me consider what aspects the artist left out... Or enhanced, like that heavy necklace. So much information conveyed on something so small! I hadn't considered it that way. Curator: Yes, aren't medals incredible in that regard? Like little portable monuments, tiny stages to convey so much information in a conveniently small, and very impressive, form. Editor: I’ll definitely look at portraiture differently now! Thanks for highlighting that duality – the personal versus the political. Curator: It's a duality we all face, isn’t it? To some degree or other. Perhaps Marie was no exception, and only wanted it writ large on a small medal.