Philip I, the Handsome, Conferring the Order of the Golden Fleece on his Son Charles of Luxembourg (Philippe Ier le Beau, conférant à son fils Charles de Luxembourg le titre de Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or)
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
For the fiftieth anniversary of Belgian independence, de Vriendt and other artists drew on events from the glorious past to forge a distinctive heritage and cultural identity for the fledgling nation. Here de Vriendt evokes the splendor of chivalric rites, setting a precedent of protocol for the new monarchy. Amid the lavish trappings of the princely household, Philip the Handsome (1478–1506) theatrically bestows the Order of the Golden Fleece on his one-year-old son, Charles (1500–1558), who later became Europe’s most powerful ruler as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The order was founded in Bruges in 1430 to defend Roman Catholicism and strengthen bonds of allegiance and brotherhood among knights. In addition to his virtuoso rendering of the court’s embroidered and bejeweled finery, de Vriendt achieves a sensitivity of facial expression—particularly in the seemingly confused face of the infant Charles.
Caption
Albrecht de Vriendt Belgian, 1843–1900. Philip I, the Handsome, Conferring the Order of the Golden Fleece on his Son Charles of Luxembourg (Philippe Ier le Beau, conférant à son fils Charles de Luxembourg le titre de Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or), 1880. Oil on panel, 55 1/8 × 34 7/8 in. (140 × 88.6 cm) frame: 60 × 40 × 3 1/4 in. (152.4 × 101.6 × 8.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Bequest of William H. Herriman, 21.494. No known copyright restrictions (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 21.494_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Artist
Title
Philip I, the Handsome, Conferring the Order of the Golden Fleece on his Son Charles of Luxembourg (Philippe Ier le Beau, conférant à son fils Charles de Luxembourg le titre de Chevalier de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or)
Date
1880
Geography
Place made: Belgium
Medium
Oil on panel
Classification
Dimensions
55 1/8 × 34 7/8 in. (140 × 88.6 cm) frame: 60 × 40 × 3 1/4 in. (152.4 × 101.6 × 8.3 cm)
Signatures
Signed and dated lower left: "Alb DeVriendt/1880"
Credit Line
Bequest of William H. Herriman
Accession Number
21.494
Rights
No known copyright restrictions
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