Medvedev Dmitriy: http://www.proza.ru/2012/08/08/1225
The last room was covered with a triptych, and the pictures moved along the halls of the palace back to where it all started, returning also to standard sizes. The first among them became “The Regent Militant: The Victory at Julich”, on the background of which one can see a city, surrounded by the horsemen and tents of Marshal de la Chatre.
The front plane was planned to contain a white steed of a perfect stature, which, while showing the viewer two middle fingers*, reigns in the heat of the battle, while its long mane flows in the wing, falling loose from a feather panache on its head. But on the preliminary sketches, Marie could only fit on top of it with a look of “Mommy, I’m scared!”, so the horse had to be put down on his bulbs**, while the bulbous beast on top of it had to wear a golden blanket for a cloak and to put a feathered panache on her own nest of crows, to keep the wreath laying Victory on the same height for a reason.
Rubens does tend to paint Victory in the present series of images as a constant follower of the queen, but the fact is that Marie had it all set for her: family riches, bridegrooms’ glory, monarchy after the death of her spouse, so she was far from being victorious. Even in this only moment where the French came up on the top during her direct reign, most of the work was done by troops from Netherland. Despite that, with a look of someone who has complete control over the situation and while leaning on a warlords’ rod, Marie follows her late husbands’ will, making the protestant jolly by gifting them with the protesting Julich. This event is heralded by Glory, and proven right by the Generosity standing on the right, with alms in one hand and a purring lion in the other.
Four years after this triumph, Louis reaches legal majority and has the formal right to take the throne. But who’s dumb enough to let him? The strongest figures on his mothers’ side were paid with the gold of the oligarchic House de Medici and the hated plunderer, the first favorite Concini. The Army and the clergy were afraid to change something in the current situation, which led the country to an inevitable financial crisis. The abroad peacemakers did whatever they felt like with the world, and there was no Chuck Norris around to chuck them out. But Rubens had it set for him to brush aside the truth in the name of those in power. So, he creates the “Coming of age of Louis XIII”, with a made up interpretation, which unwittingly implies at the real situation.
Well then. On the canvas, the young king takes one from his mama… meaning, his mother formally passes him the reign. Technically, he still had to take it by force three years later, and to exile the matriarch to Blois, the same place where a quarter of century earlier her cousins grandmother passed away- Catherine de Medici#. And by the looks of Louis, one can’t say that he got the reigns by others’ permission. Moderation lowers the sails under the guidance of the centerpiece- France, because the new driving force for this ship is no longer the wind of Changes (Fortune), but the four virtues: Strength, Wisdom, Justice and Concordance##. Well, at least it won’t be succeeded by a Maybe baby.
Although, if you look at it from a different point, it could be read differently: the wind in the queens’ head has finally confused France and the sail of progress became useless. Only thanks to Temperance, the problem is temporary and can be untangled and keep on moving- let’s wish her Luck (with the winds of change). The steering is given to Strength- it doesn’t row, but uses her oar as a steering wheel, which seems to match the reality. Wisdom couldn’t care less- she doesn’t even try, and her oar gets in the way of Justice and Concordance. The last two sit with the look of “whatever” on their faces, and from the look of their oars it’s obvious that they don’t row, just making it look like they do. And none of the characters in the women-driven ship care about where they’re heading. Even France itself has turned her back to the front- her sad gaze is turned to the nations’ past, when she was a glorious nation.
* The horses’ hoof is an evolved third (middle) finger.
**Bulb- the soft back part of the hoof.
# An interesting fact is that her middle name was Marie, her husbands’ name was Henry and one of her sons was named Louis. Catherine, pretty much like Marie, outlived her husband and sat by her own right on the French throne.
## The symbols of the virtues are painted on the shields at the same order- a Lion, a Snake, Scales and Caduceus.