Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Charlemagne and the Kings of France in a Garden
(Manuscripts and Rare Books)
Eight kings sit in a walled garden with beds of flowering plants arranged in a checkerboard pattern. In place of a fountain (a typical structure in medieval gardens), a tent houses a blue lily, and before it, two angels flank a coat of arms with the French fleur-de-lis emblem. The lily in the garden–associated with the Virgin Mary's purity–along with the grape vines–associated with the sacrament of Mass–that climb the willow fence in the background, confirmed the Christian piety of the French kings.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Acquired by Léon Gruel, Paris, early 20th century (?); purchased by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.
Exhibitions
| 2012 | Paradise Imagined: Images of the Garden in the Islamic and Christian World. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 15 3/8 x W: 11 in. (39 x 28 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters before 1931
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
W.306.11R
