Crowns & Marriage

In contemporary discourse, when we observe a crown placed over someone's head, a direct association with hierarchy and royalty comes to mind. A crown seems to be one more of the many signs of ostentatious power and importance in places all over the globe, but in the 15th and 16th centuries, Renaissance crowns had somewhat of a different meaning. Although clearly still associated with a monarchy, Italian painters of the Renaissance were fascinated with symbolism in their paintings, and so crowns apart from power also denoted a symbolism of marriage. When exploring Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist, we observe the scene of the beheading of John the Baptist in the hands of his killer and Salome who holds the platter under his deadhead, a question comes to mind: why is Salome using a blue crown over her head? Scholars have doubted the nature of the relationship between John the Baptist and Salome due to her expression and her accessories on this painting; could it be that they held a different relationship that just a vengeance plot from Salome against John the Baptist? It felt appropriate to explore other 15th and 16th century paintings to further understand the use of crowns in Italian Renaissance paintings and if the symbolism was added to these too. So let's explore together from all different types of artists and mediums of the Renaissance and their use of jewelry as a symbol of marriage. 

Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist

Andrea Solario

1507-9

 oil over wood

 32.100.81.

Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist is the main painting we are exploring, created by Italian artist Andrea Solario, this painting is a depiction of the biblical story of the beheading of John the Baptist. This scene has John the Baptist whose head is being held by an anonymous hand over a silver platter being held by a woman, which by historical record we know is Salome. In the painting, we can observe Salome dressed in an elegant yet colorful dress and detailed jewelry that can point towards her place in society. This painting’s detail that we are exploring is the blue headpiece placed over Salome’s head with a golden detail in the middle. Although somewhat of a simple headpiece, combined with her saddened expression all can contribute to the argument of the nature of their relationship. 

Venus and Cupid 

Lorenzo Lotto

1520s 

Oil on canvas 

1986.138

Venus and Cupid is a painting by Italian painter Lorenzo Lotto. Known to be a famous depiction of marriage from ancient marriage poems and several other Venetian paintings of this same scene, Lotto gives this scene a humorous and witty spin. Venus is shown in nude lying down and cupid is urinating through a laurel wreath in her direction which is meant to symbolize fertility. Her crown once more is an accessory used to depict marriage and so is the myrtle wreath in the scene. 

The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria 

Paolo Veronese 

c.1562 - c.1569 

Oil in Canvas 

Royal Collection (Buckingham Palace), London, UK

This is a religious painting depicting the mystic marriage of Saint Catherine to Jesus by the Virgin Mary, this painting is a representation of the pious soul's spiritual marriage to God.  She is dressed as for a wedding and once more the use of a crown as a symbol for marriage, even if it's a mystical one, is portrayed. She is kneeling in front of baby Jesus on top of a broken wheel in which later she would be executed. On one hand, Christ is holding a ring given by Child John the Baptist and on the other hand he holds Catherine for her to receive it as a symbolism of the marriage. 

Venus and the Lute Player

Titian

ca. 1565–70

Oil on canvas 

36.29

This painting once more like the Venus and cupid from Lotto is a depiction of the famous scene of marriage from Venetian poems, this time executed differently. The painting shows Venus, the goddess of love, in a female nude being crowned by Cupid with a wreath of flowers as symbolism for marriage. Accompanying her is a lute player and an intricately painted landscape with nymphs and satyrs dancing to the music in the background. This painting seems to be a representation of sensual pleasures, but alluding to the traditional Venetian marriage image. 

Virgin and Child (Melun diptych)

 Jean Fouquet

ca. 1420 – 1477/81

 Tempera on panel

 Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp

The painting of Virgin and child from Fouquet has an aristocratic and elegant turn from the classical painting of this scene. The reasoning behind the fashionable clothing and the decision of adding a crown to a depiction of the classic Mary and Christ painting has roots in the person commissioning it. Most of the paintings that show this biblical image use a mantle over Mary’s head, yet this 15th-century painting uses a crown and has a slightly more sexualized image of Mary. This painting was made in the time of King Charles VII and the inspiration behind Mary is rumored to be Agnes Sorel as an idealized image of Mary. Agnes Sorel was the first mistress to the king that was ever publicly acknowledged, who at her time was considered "the most beautiful woman in the world", therefore she had to be the inspiration behind Mary. Her relationship to the king, considering she bore him 4 daughters, may explain the use of the crown in the head of Mary and maybe a desired relationship from both. 

Girl with Cherries

Attributed to Marco d'Oggiono

ca. 1491–95

Oil on wood 

91.26.5

This painting was made by one of Leonardo da Vinci’s associates in Milan, it's said to combine allegory and elements of portraiture. Little is known about the painting's theme or even meaning, it is deemed enigmatic yet two things stand out from it; first, the girl is holding a bowl of cherries and second, she is crowned with ivy. Scholars conclude that the crowning with ivy could be a representation of marriage, once more showing the connection to the main piece. Nonetheless is also associated with a connection with sophisticated literary circles.