Henri II, King of France, at the age of 28 (1547): Art, History and Details

Henri II, King of France, at the age of 28 (1547) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Nicolo della Casa (French, active 1543–48).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

Comparing Renaissance princes with distinguished ancient leaders was a common theme in laudatory speeches, literature, and art. In commemoration of Henri II’s coronation as King of France (reigned 1547–59), Nicolo della Casa portrayed the monarch as a valiant Roman general. Crowned with a laurel wreath, the king’s head is in full profile, the traditional format used on ancient coins and engraved gems. He wears a muscled ceremonial cuirass, its breastplate heavily ornamented with war trophies, mermaids, and fighting tritons. The historicized armor, derived from antique imperial portraits and figures of the war-god Mars, creates a powerful and timeless image of the French sovereign.

Object facts

• Title: Henri II, King of France, at the age of 28
• Date: 1547
• Creator attribution: Nicolo della Casa (French, active 1543–48)
• Culture: France
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Sheet: 41.3 x 29.3 cm (16 1/4 x 11 9/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 1946.308

A detail from the museum

Henry II loved finely embossed parade armor. He died at the age of 41 after having his eye put out during a tournament.

Collection credit

In memory of Ralph King, gift of Mrs. Ralph King; Ralph T. Woods, Charles G. King; and Frances King Schafer

Further reading listed by the museum

• Wehn, James. Gods and Heroes: Ancient legends found new life in Renaissance art.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 57, no. 5 (September/October 2017): 10-11.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.