. Old Paris : its court and literary salons . raves, etc., were the work of the firstsculptors of the day, and much of its panelling,destroyed or removed during subsequent alter-ations, was adorned by the pencil of Poussin orSimon Vouet. The twenty-four large paintings— since transferred to the Louvre — of the chiefevents in the life of Marie de Medicis were,as is well known, executed by Rubens after thequeens return. Two only were painted in Parisand wholly by the great master himself, — that inwhich Minerva is counselling Henry IV. to takeMarie de Medicis for a bride (advice the wisdomof whi
. Old Paris : its court and literary salons . raves, etc., were the work of the firstsculptors of the day, and much of its panelling,destroyed or removed during subsequent alter-ations, was adorned by the pencil of Poussin orSimon Vouet. The twenty-four large paintings— since transferred to the Louvre — of the chiefevents in the life of Marie de Medicis were,as is well known, executed by Rubens after thequeens return. Two only were painted in Parisand wholly by the great master himself, — that inwhich Minerva is counselling Henry IV. to takeMarie de Medicis for a bride (advice the wisdomof which Henry would scarcely have endorsed),and the one representing the birth of Louis two fine paintings have by some connois-seurs been considered the chefs-doeuvre of theseries. The others were sketched by Rubensin Paris, and painted at Antwerp, principally, ifnot entirely, by his pupils or assistants, with theexception of some finishing touches by themasters hand. Peter Paul Rubens Photo-etching after the Painting by himself. RUBENS TWENTY-FOUR PAINTINGS 79 Marie used to sit for hours Rubens while he was engaged in had a great regard for him; and his learningand varied knowledge, as statesman, ambassador,and man of the world, as well as his great skillin his art, were fully appreciated by her. It has been made a reproach to Marie deMedicis that a proposed second series of paint-ings, of which the career of Henry IV. was tofurnish the subject, was not the first put inhand. Rubens is said to have prepared sketchesfor these pictures while in Paris, but that thesubsequent misfortunes of his patroness pre-vented the carrying out of her project. Itmay, however, be doubted that it was everentertained. Most unexpectedly the Due de Luynes diedof camp fever while heading an expedition againstthe unfortunate Huguenots, and the queen-motherimmediately resumed all her old ascendency overthe weak mind of her son. She introduced hersnrinte
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