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Exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1827–1828. The subject is taken from an anecdote (probably apocryphal) related in the 'Mémorial pittoresque de la France' (1786) concerning Henri IV (1553–1610), King of France from 1589, one of the most able and popular of French monarchs. At Fontainebleau in 1604 the King was playing with the Dauphin, letting him ride on his back, when an ambassador arrived to discover the conqueror of the Catholic League and the Monarch of France in this undignified position. The worthy Henri, without getting up, stopped and said, 'Have you any children, Ambassador?'
'Yes, Sire.'
'Then I may finish my trip round the room.’
Attractive images of Henri IV, the first Bourbon king, had been common under the Emperor Napoleon but had a particular relevance and appeal after the return of the Bourbons in 1815.

The Wallace Collection

London

Title

Henri IV and the Spanish Ambassador

Date

c.1827

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 38.4 x W 52.4 cm

Accession number

P351

Acquisition method

acquired by Richard Seymour-Conway, 4th Marquess of Hertford, 1870; bequeathed to the nation by Lady Wallace, 1897

Work type

Painting

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The Wallace Collection

Hertford House, Manchester Square, London, Greater London W1U 3BN England

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