The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 6, 2023

Henri II, King of France, at the age of 28

1547

Nicolo della Casa

(French, active 1543–48)

France, 16th century

Engraving

Support: Cream(3) laid paper

Sheet: 41.3 x 29.3 cm (16 1/4 x 11 9/16 in.)

In memory of Ralph King, gift of Mrs. Ralph King; Ralph T. Woods, Charles G. King; and Frances King Schafer 1946.308

Catalogue raisonné: Robert-Dumesnil 5 (IX.183)

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

Henry II loved finely embossed parade armor. He died at the age of 41 after having his eye put out during a tournament.

Description

Comparing Renaissance princes with distinguished ancient leaders was a common theme in laudatory speeches, literature, and art. In commemoration of Henri II’s coronation as King of France (reigned 1547–59), Nicolo della Casa portrayed the monarch as a valiant Roman general. Crowned with a laurel wreath, the king’s head is in full profile, the traditional format used on ancient coins and engraved gems. He wears a muscled ceremonial cuirass, its breastplate heavily ornamented with war trophies, mermaids, and fighting tritons. The historicized armor, derived from antique imperial portraits and figures of the war-god Mars, creates a powerful and timeless image of the French sovereign.

Inscriptions

Inscription

across bottom, in plate: HENRI C VS II FRANCOR / REX ETA XXVIII 1547 ; VERSO, across bottom, in graphite: Attribue a N. della Casa / [illegible] ; lower center, in pen and brown ink: M M S ; lower right, in graphite: c. 442 [underlined]

Provenance
Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Settrington, County of York (departmental card). gift, 1946
Exhibition history

35th Anniversary Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 20-September 30, 1951).

Department of Prints and Drawings Opening Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (March 3, 1958-October 11, 1959).

Prints and Drawings from the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (May 6-September 9, 1965).

Old Master Prints and Drawings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 29, 1966-February 28, 1967).

French Prints and Drawings in the Age of the Bourbons, 1589-1792. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 2-May 16, 1982).

Master Goldsmiths of the Renaissance: Their Models and Designs. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 2, 1982-March 20, 1983).

Design and Decoration: Ornament Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 7-October 28, 1990).

Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1946.308