These embroideries seem to represent various periods of the life of saint Thomas Becket (1118-1170) : Thomas chancelor ofEngland, Thomas elected archbishop ofCanterbury, Thomas fleeing to France to Louis VII, Meeting of Fréteval sealing the reconciliation of Thomas and his king Henri II, Thomas crossing the Channel.
Don Gaspar Méndez de Haro y Guzmàn, 7e marquis del Carpio y de Heliche (Madrid 1629 – Naples 1687), Spanish ambassador in Rome (1676 -1682), then vice-king of Naples (1682to his death).
The bronze first appears in the inventory compiled for the move to Naples in 1682 « un ritratto di bronzo che rappresenta il Re Carlo secondo delle Spagne Nostro Signore che Dio guardi à Cavallo, con sotto nobile piedestallo » (Palacio de Liria archives, Madrid).
At the marquess death in 1687, his only heiress, duchess of Alba by wedding, brings back to Madridher father’s collection. The bronze is put in box n° 20 « la estatua de bronce sobredorado des Rey Carlos 2 a cavallo en su pedestal » (manuscript inventory in the Escorial).
This statuette comes from the restoration of Saint Romain shrine in Rouen in the XVIIIth century which aimed to replace the missing parts of the XIVth century shrine. These restorations were in turn replaced in the XIXth century by galvanoplasties.
This statuette comes from the restoration of Saint Romain shrine in Rouen in the XVIIIth century which aimed to replace the missing parts of the XIVth century shrine. These restorations were in turn replaced in the XIXth century by galvanoplasties.
This watercolor copies a detail of a painting of Corrège belonging to the collection of king Charles Ier of England who asked Peter Oliver for a series of copies in the watercolor of the main masterpieces of its collection.
In the death of the king in 1649, his collection was sold by auction, Corrège is displayed to the Louvre today and some watercolors of Peter Oliver returned to the collection of drawings of queen Elizabeth II to Windsor.
Donation to the French State for the Angers's castle, April 2021
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