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Shields of Henry IV and Maria de Medici [right half]

Simon van de Passe

1621

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque

Dominant colour

Shields of Henry IV and Maria de Medici [right half] is a 1621 ink by Simon van de Passe, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Simon van de Passe
When & what style?: 1621 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows two shields stacked under a crown. The left shield has a diamond pattern with pearls. The right shield has three fleur-de-lis symbols. Around them are fancy scrolls, leaves, and a wreath with a few small globes. The two shields likely belong to different people—one side shows France’s fleur-de-lis, a symbol tied to royalty. The crown above suggests this design was meant for someone important. Next, check out the technique: engraving to see how artists like this one carved fine details into metal.