French school of the 17th century, - Lot 265

French school of the 17th century, Portrait of Henri IV, King of France and Navarre, Oil on canvas, (Re-tooled, slightly enlarged around the edges by about ten centimeters, minor restorations in the background; on the stretcher, an old label from the London shipping company Pitt & Scott). 149 x 115.7 cm Provenance : Former Swedish collection of the Counts von Molle until the mid-19th century. Public sale, Pau, December 19, 2009, lot n°10. The sovereign is depicted standing against a landscape background, in studded and gilded armor, crossed with the great white sash of command, with the plaque of the Order of the Holy Spirit, sword at left side, right hand holding the baton of command. The layout of this depiction of the victorious king in armor can be compared with the portrait of Henri IV with three loves, by the French school circa 1600 (oil on canvas, 255 x 122 cm) in the Musée national et domaine du château de Pau (Cf. Catalogue of the Pau and Archives Nationales exhibition "Henri IV et la reconstruction du royaume", no. 252c, reproduced in color p.203, notice p.200, RMN 1989). The Order of the Holy Spirit was instituted by his immediate predecessor Henri III (1551-1589) on December 31, 1578, at the very heart of the Wars of Religion. By ostensibly taking up this sign of the Order, the new King of France confirmed his complete political legitimacy in the eyes of all, following his conversion to the Catholic religion. Since the 2009 sale, the painting has benefited from a light restoration and lightening of the varnish, which has improved its legibility. Expert: Mr Laurent Calès (laurent.cales@hotmail.com or 06 84 13 18 71).