The Parade Armour of Henry II of France, now in the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

, New York, is believed to date from c 1553–55 and its decoration is attributed to the French

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

and engraver Étienne Delaune. Designed for use in pageantry, the armour was fashioned of gold, silver and steel and with leather and red velvet trimmings.Burn, 134 It was created for

Henry II of France Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was List of French monarchs#House of Valois-Angoulême (1515–1589), King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I of France, Francis I and Claude of France, Claude, Du ...

as ceremonial wear; the figures embossed on the breastplate and back are intended to reflect his military achievements. There are 20 surviving mid-sixteenth-century drawings, thought to be by Delaune, used for sketching the original design.Montebello, 65Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59)
. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 19 September 2015 Later additions and modifications are attributed to Baptiste Pellerin and Jean Cousin the Elder. The Metropolitan acquired the armour in 1939 via the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund.

Description

The adornments consist of dense passages of foliate scrolls which are derived from Arabesque art. The imagery contain both human figures and fantastical creatures. The latter seems influenced by the Italian Grotesque, particularly the work of sculptors

Francesco Primaticcio Francesco Primaticcio (; April 30, 1504 – 1570) was an Italian Mannerism, Mannerist Painting, painter, architect and sculpture, sculptor who spent most of his career in France. Biography Born in Bologna, he trained under Giulio Romano ( ...

and

Benvenuto Cellini Benvenuto Cellini (, ; 3 November 150013 February 1571) was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. His best-known extant works include the ''Cellini Salt Cellar'', the sculpture of ''Perseus with the Head of Medusa'', and his autobiography ...

, both of whom produced works for Henry II.Snyder (1987), 140 The human figures include a Roman warrior representing Triumph and Fame. He receives

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of lands which the state con ...

from two kneeling women. The Roman mythology theme appears elsewhere as well: Apollo chases the nymph Daphne across the breastplate and appears on the back with the slain monster Python. This triumphant symbolism is intended to reflect Henry's military achievements. Henry's badge, a crescent moon, appears in several places. Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP208250.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256976.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256980.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256981.jpg

Function

Parade armour became an elaborate and ornate Renaissance art form intended to both glorify war and flatter the military prowess of the royal subject. Surviving examples include decorated shields, helmets, and full suits of armour.Potter, 303 Delaune was an important contributor to the form, and Henry II commissioned a number of similar works, including a panel for his horse, and some bucklers (shields) now in the Louvre, both by Delaune. In addition surviving works for Henry include a full suit at the Museum of Ethnology, Vienna.Potter, 304 Henry required armour for battle, tournament and state occasions, and kept a court armoury staffed by mostly French, Flemish and Italian artisans, of whom Delaune was probably the most skilled and was called upon for the most prestigious commissions. The c 1555 "Shield of Henry II of France" also in the Metropolitan, is thought to have been based on a design by Delaune.Shield of Henry II of France, ca. 1555
. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 19 September 2015 Today there are at least six surviving examples of armour designed for Henry by Delaune, a number of which are shields, including in the

Wallace Collection The Wallace Collection is a museum in London occupying Hertford House in Manchester Square, the former townhouse (Great Britain), townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquess of Hertford, Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wall ...

, Vienna, and

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. The manufacture of the suit would have been highly specialised and complex, probably involving a number of master goldsmiths, and involve high levels of

gilding Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

, damascening the layers gold and silver, and

leather stamping Leather crafting or simply leathercraft is the practice of making leather into craft objects or works of art, using shaping techniques, coloring techniques or both. Techniques Dyeing The application of pigments carried by solvents or water i ...

(embossing). It was probably created at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

Atelier of Royal Armorers, and would not have been intended for wear at battle or jousts – the armour is purely decorative and suitable only for state processions and occasions; its form and design would impede movement and is impractically designed for defense. Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256970.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256971.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256972.jpg Armor of Henry II, King of France (reigned 1547–59) MET DP256973.jpg

Notes

Sources

* Belozerskaya, Marina. ''Luxury Arts of the Renaissance''. CA: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2005. * Burn, Barbara. ''Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art''. Bulfinch Press, 1997. * Montebello, P (ed). ''The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide''. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994. * Potter, David. ''Renaissance France at War: Armies, Culture and Society, C.1480-1560''. Boydell Press, 2008. * Snyder, James (ed). ''The Renaissance in the North''. New York:

Publications, 1987. OCLO 893699130

External links

{{commons category, Parade Armour of Henry II of France
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metalwork in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Arms and armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Henry II of France Clothing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art