WRITTEN IN FRENCH
A rare example of a royal chapel having retained its original decor, the Trinity Chapel at the Château de Fontainebleau is the only surviving witness to the embellishments ordered by Henry IV for his residences. Completed under the regency of Marie de Medici and the reign of Louis XIII, this decoration is essential for understanding the evolution of the arts in France between the end of the 16th century and the middle of the 17th century. How does the decor of a royal chapel illustrate the association between temporal and sacred power within the monarchies of Western Europe? What are the interactions between a decor and the uses of a place which evolve over the centuries.
To answer, it is a question of proposing a complete history of the decoration of the Trinity Chapel. Using numerous previously unpublished archival and iconographic documents, this story allows us to follow the multiple stages of its development and restoration. Taking into account its different components, the book situates the entire decorative enterprise in the French and European artistic context at the beginning of the 17th century. It highlights the still little-known actors of this project, such as Martin Fréminet, Barthélémy Tremblay, Francesco Bordoni and Jean Dubois. Finally, by offering a new iconographic reading of the painted cycle of the chapel and its altar painting, it allows us to follow the evolution of religious sensibilities during the reigns of Henry IV and Louis XIII.
With the support of the Custodia Foundation , the Château de Fontainebleau and the Society for the Study of the 17th Century .
French
438 pages
Éditions Presses universitaires de Rennes
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