Artwork
The Landing in Marseilles (Sketch for the Medici Cycle)
The Landing in Marseilles (Sketch for the Medici Cycle) is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Peter Paul Rubens. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Technique & Style
The technique emphasizes immediacy over finish, with visible brushwork and pentimenti suggesting adjustments during execution.
The work is an oil painting on oak panels, with the support measuring 64 cm in height and 50 cm in width. The handling is rapid and preparatory, consistent with a sketch for a larger cycle, using fluid, translucent glazes to establish the composition and atmospheric effects. Compositionally, the scene is organized around the central figure of Marie de' Medici disembarking at Marseille, with loosely brushed figures and architectural elements arranged to guide the viewer’s eye diagonally across the panel. The light is diffused, softening contours and emphasizing the dramatic gesture of arrival.
The technique emphasizes immediacy over finish, with visible brushwork and pentimenti suggesting adjustments during execution.
History & Provenance
The sketch was created by Peter Paul Rubens in 1622 as part of preparatory work for the Medici Cycle, a series commissioned by Marie de’ Medici to glorify her life and political legacy. The painting depicts her arrival in Marseilles and served as a study for the larger commissioned cycle, which was installed in the Luxembourg Palace in Paris.
By the 20th century, the work entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is now held at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. There it remains in the public domain as part of the state holdings.
The work is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, where it is inventoried as The Landing in Marseilles (Sketch for the Medici Cycle).
It was exhibited at the Musée du Louvre, Paris, in 1936 as part of the Rubens et son temps display (cat. no. 51).
Overview
The Landing in Marseilles (Sketch for the Medici Cycle) is a 1622 oil painting by Peter Paul Rubens, depicting a pivotal moment in Marie de' Medici’s life. Part of a commissioned series to glorify her biography, this work showcases Rubens' characteristic Flemish Baroque style.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures Marie de' Medici’s arrival in Marseille, focusing on her figure in a white dress amidst a bustling port scene. The composition emphasizes her central role, reflecting the series' intent to honor her life and legacy.
Context
Commissioned to glorify Marie de' Medici, the series and this sketch reflect the political and religious climate of the time, using art to promote royal legitimacy and Counter-Reformation values.
Legacy
As part of Rubens' oeuvre and the Medici Cycle, The Landing in Marseilles contributes to the Flemish Baroque's influence on European art, exemplifying the era's artistic and thematic preoccupations.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Peter Paul Rubens ( ROO-bənz; Dutch:; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat.
- The Felicity of the Regency
Scenă alegorică
The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite
The Rape of Hippodamia
Rape of the Sabines
Apotheosis of Maria Medici
Neptun și Amphitrite
Galatea and Polyphem
The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite
Briseis Given Back to Achilles
The Capture of Samson
The Deliverance of Arsinoe