This will be the first exhibition dedicated to the drawings of Antoine Caron, bringing together a celebrated group of works executed for his patron Catherine de’ Medici (1519–1589). Centred around the Valois series, a set of drawings of courtly pageantry reunited for the first time, the exhibition showcases the way in which Catherine promoted herself and her dynasty through lavish courtly events. Though not a court artist, Caron worked at the court of the Valois family, and in 1581, even became the official painter for the wedding of the King’s favourite Anne d’Arques, duc de Joyeuse. At the centre of this exhibition are six drawings that evoke the Valois ‘Magnificences’, complex festivals organised by the French court between 1573 and 1581. The drawings capture these events in minute detail – a testimony of the lavish spectacles. Find out more about the Antoine Caron exhibition from the Courtauld Gallery’s website.
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Game of Quintain (1575–80), Antoine Caron. Courtesy of The Courtauld Gallery, London
Portrait of Henri II and Catherine de’ Medici (1560–74), Antoine Caron. Courtesy Louvre, Paris
Portrait of Catherine de’ Medici as a widow (1560–74), Antoine Caron. Courtesy Louvre, Paris
Le château d’Anet (1565–1574), Antoine Caron. Courtesy Louvre, Paris
An equestrian game with riders jousting among balls of fire (c. 1575–80), Antoine Caron. Courtesy of The Courtauld Gallery, London
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