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Description: | Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) was the powerful French statesman who dominated the reign of Louis XIII and will be familiar to readers of Alexander Dumas' famous novel, The Three Musketeers and its film progeny. His full name was Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu. Born into an aristocratic family, he studied theology and at the age of 21 he was appointed Bishop of Lucon, a position ordinarily occupied by a member of the Richelieu family. In 1616 he became France's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and in 1622 Pope Gregory made him a cardinal. He then became head of the Royal Council as Prime Minister of France in 1624. He was virulent in his repression of any conceivable threat to the stability of France. He helped France become the leading power in Europe. He was also a great patron of the arts, supporting promising writers and founding the French Academy. | Subjects: | portrait (Cardinal Richelieu) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Mignard, Pierre, I (French painter and portraitist, 1612-1695) Æ Attributed to circle of Previously attributed to Mignard, Pierre, I (French painter and portraitist, 1612-1695) | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8376... | Go to resource |
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