florida state university college of visual arts, theatre and dance ...

Although David and Solomon had traditionally served as important models for French
kings, Louis XIII was the first to allude to either of them on a medal. By referencing the Old
Testament kings in a new medium and as part of a public ceremony, Louis XIII firmly
established a connection to the model rulers and furthered the tradition begun by past French
monarchs. The foundation medal proved to be a means through which he could testify to the
virtues he possessed, that he too was pious, wise, and just and that of all the Christian rulers, the
French king had the special blessing of God. The medal’s legend affirmed that just as David had
triumphed over Goliath, Louis XIII would triumph over any threats to his rule. Moreover, as
Solomon, who had built the temple, was the absolute sovereign in his land, so too was Louis,
who constructed Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites.
Complementing the message conveyed by the image of Louis XIII were the other medals
on the foundation stone (fig. 36). The medal in the upper right-hand corner depicted
Martellange’s design for the façade of Saint-Louis-des-Jésuites, an image which functioned as a
visual testament to the building. The other medal on the right side, the reverse of the king’s
portrait medal, only bore an inscription, but it too was intended to add to the image of the
monarch by drawing connections to St. Louis. Its inscription focuses on the seventeenth-century
king’s many ties to the saint, stating that Louis IX was for Louis XIII “the founder of his race, of
his name, and of his kingdom.” Louis XIII’s reverence of his predecessor is further
demonstrated in the medal depicting a profile portrait of St. Louis (fig. 32).
As the only sainted French king, Louis IX was the model of Christian piety. Shortly
following his death in 1270, biographies began to appear that emphasized his virtue, faith, and
humility and praised his charity towards the poor and the sick. 54 His devout nature was further
enhanced by the transfer of the relics of the Passion to France and the legends surrounding his
fearless acts during the Crusades. It was, however, only in the seventeenth century that his role
as a political model began to affect ideas of kingship. 55 The change was brought about in large
part by Louis XIII’s revival of the cult of St. Louis. 56 Of all the saints, Louis XIII preferred his
namesake and patron the best. 57 In addition to saying a daily prayer in his honor, in July 1618 he
obtained from Pope Paul V a bull proclaiming that on 25 August all the kingdom of France
would observe the day of St. Louis and celebrate the office as a double feast. 58 The Mercure
françois recorded the Parisian celebration that took place the following month, noting that the
streets were lined with tapestries and fireworks were displayed on the Seine. 59 As for the king,
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