Important painted leather hanging, partly embossed,... Lot 4

Important painted leather hanging, partly embossed, in honor of Marie de Médicis. On the right, the Queen as Pallas-Athena is seated, surrounded by trophies, holding the scepter in her left hand. In front of her, in the center, a painter, palette in one hand, points to an oval painting held up by another young woman representing the allegory of Justice with the scales. On the left, a woman wearing a yellow dress patterned with flowers is trying to extinguish the glowing embers of a brazier. Embossed leather border with floral scrolls on a gold background. Rhône Valley, Avignon, Boissier family workshop, mid-17th century. H_ 298 cm L_424 cm Some wear and tear, folds and restorations. Provenance : Former Maurice Fenaille collection, Paris. This large hanging is one of the few examples of leather painting from 17th-century French workshops. The naivety of the painting suggests that it was done by a cartonnier-painter, who was responsible in tapestry workshops for making large canvases that served as models for the weaving to be done. In her red dress and fleur-de-lys mantle, the figure of Marie de Médicis recalls the famous portrait of the triumphant queen painted by Rubens for his Palais du Luxembourg. Here, Marie de Médicis is depicted more as Pallas-Athéna, goddess of wisdom and the arts, than as Bellona, goddess of war. The presence of the female allegories, the four cardinal virtues, further clarify this message. Originally, there were to be four of them, but the Force on the far left, surmounted by a lion standing on a pedestal, has disappeared, having been cut out to make way for a doorway. In the center, however, we recognize Prudence, whose attribute is usually a mirror that she is holding up. Here, the artist has skilfully introduced Justice, in place of the reflection of the Queen's portrait; Temperance, another cardinal virtue, pours water over the embers of a stove, showing how to extinguish the fires of lust. The featured woman holding her palette personifies Art, indicating that Marie de Médicis was reputed to be a great patron of the arts. Book consulted: J.P. Fournet, Cuirs dorés " Cuirs de Cordoue " - Un art européen, Ed. Monelle Hayot, 2019.