The Union of Henry IV and Marie de Medicis

This sketch shows the pacification of the warrior king by Marie de Médicis. The couple were married by proxy in Florence on 5 October, 1600, when Rubens was present. Here Henri holds an olive branch, a symbol of peace. His amorous glance indicates his submission to his new wife, whom he holds around the waist. The sketch thus celebrates Marie de Médicis’ amorous victory over the military hero and thereby flatters Rubens’s patron. Both this sketch and The Birth of Henri IV (P523) were meant to flank The Triumph of of Henri IV (P522).