NICOLAS-ANDRÉ MONSIAU | The Coronation of Marie de Medici, 13 May 1610

The canvas is unlined and stable, with minimal evidence of craqueleure. The paint layer is well-preserved with impasto built up in many of the beautiful details, particularly on the costumes. The colors are bright and the overall condition is excellent. There is some wear to the darker, shadowed areas in the foreground but it is minimal. Ultraviolet light reveals a slightly uneven varnish throughout with very few retouchings. Offered in a carved giltwood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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Marie de Medici was the second wife of King Henry IV of France, and though the practice of a coronation of a Queen was not customary in France, her insistence proved worthwhile: just a day after she was crowned Queen of France, her husband was assassinated by François Ravaillac, and Marie assumed power as Regent until their son, Louis XIII, came of age.  

The coronation took place on 13 May 1610 at the Basilica of Saint Denis, which is faithfully depicted in all its glory in the present work.  Indeed the sketch is part of a commission of ten large painted canvases which decorated the Basilica's new chapels, ordered by Napoleon in 1806.  By 1812, six artists had submitted their sketches to the architect; the present work is almost certainly the definitive model presented by Monsiau.