The current bedtime reading of Abbé Henri

He has started to read this text book to understand the development of Hapsburg Spain the the era of the cardinal duke.

As the old political maxim says:

'Know the enemy better than he knows himself.'

Spain was the superpower of the 17th century, but was finally checked by the cunning long-term power-politics of Armand-Jean whose FRANCE finally came to question this Hispanic supremacy in the reign of the young sun-king Louis XIV, following Richelieu's own death in 1642.

While the palace and cité idéale of Richelieu were being created, the First Minister of France duelled with his opposite number in Madrid 

the 'conde-duque' Olivares,

Minister to his master, Felipe IV, King of Spain.

a detail from 'The surrender of Breda' by Diego Velázquez

Felipe IV,  King of Spain
Velázquez

Don Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel Ribera y Velasco de Tovar
the Count of Olivares
and Duke of San Lúcar la Mayor
Velázquez

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Henri P's new friend in Madrid - Chantal

http://cielbleudecastille.blogspot.co.uk

Inspired by this blog above, the old Abbé Henri Proust has made a short trip to the National Gallery in London to post about all those lovely canvases on subjects close to the passions of his new friend Chantal.

Chantal herself  is actually a daughter of the Cité Ideale and has taken her native affection for the seventeenth century to the city that was never far from the political concerns of Armand-Jean himself,
MADRID.

the Hapsburg coat-of-arms

Maybe she can find some imagery of cardinal duc's opposite number in Madrid
 in the court of Phillip IV, The Count of Olivares…..'el conde-duque'

Olivares by Velázquez

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Meanwhile three royal courts; three court painters

• Philippe de Champaigne - for Louis XIII of France and Navarre

Triple portrait produced for the Roman sculptor Bernini to inform the making of his marble bust of Armand Jean

• Diego Velázquez - for Phillip IV of Spain

by son-in-law Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo

• Anthony Van Dyke - for Charles 1st of England

"…..his eyes follow you round the room."

(Both boys were later killed in the English civil war, on the Royalist side)

• And finally, the good Abbé's favourite son of France, Nicholas Poussin

An unusual un-faded canvas by Poussin showing his original coloration