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Description: | This painting (a replica of the original in the National Gallery in Washington) is one of no less than twenty-five portraits painted by Sir Anthony Van Dyck of Queen Henrietta Maria during his permanence at the Stuart court from 1632-41. It is also one of several (including three by Daniel Mytens made before the arrival of Van Dyck in England) of the Queen and her favourite dwarf, Jeffery Hudson. The Queen famously received the dwarf as a gift while visiting the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham with Charles I: during dinner the tiny Hudson stepped out from within a thick crusted pie to give the Queen a deep courtier's bow, she was so thrilled by this elegant conceit that the Duchess immediately offered the dwarf as a present. Consequently Henrietta Maria gave him a permanent place in her household and he became one of her most trusted confidants and was remembered as 'the compleatest of courtiers'. Van Dyck's painting is not only a sensitive representation Henrietta Maria and the dwarf, it also alludes to the Queen's heritage, tastes and virtues. At the foot of the tall column (a symbol of fortitude) behind the Queen, is her crown incorporating the fleur-de-lys recalling both the French and Florentine lineage of her parents Charles IV of France and Maria de'Medici. The dwarf, Jeffery Hudson and the monkey, recall the rare and exotic court Henrietta Maria was famous for, while the orange tree (an expensive import) behind her recalls her interest in gardening. The monkey however is also a symbol of erotic passion, which tamed as shown here highlights the Queen's virtue while the orange, a Marian emblem associated with purity, chastity and generosity alludes both to the Queen's patron saint and to her own excellence. | Subjects: | portrait (Queen Henrietta Maria; Jeffery Hudson) | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: Dyck, Anthony van (Flemish painter, 1599-1641, active in England) Æ Attributed to | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=8725... | Go to resource |
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