DOE

ENTRANCE OF HENRI IV.

The event represented in this picture is one which occasions great patriotism in the minds of the French, For 5 years Paris had been given up to the factious, and the leaguers exercised authority there, when the King after rendering himself master of several cities of the Kingdom, at length determined to lay siege to the Capital. The numbers of his partizans insensibly increased every day, especially after the coronation which took place at Chartres, which seemed to remove all reasonable pretext for opposition. Therefore the 22 d. of March early in the morning certain of the inhabitants having possessed themselves of one of the gates of the city, the royal troops entered in a crowd, and the King did not delay his arrival at the Louvre.

This is the moment represented by Gerard. Near the King who has his head uncovered, is seen his faithful Counsellor Sully, in front is Bellegarde, casting his eyes on a window of the Louvre, where several ladies are discovered, behind Sully is Biron, who afterwards had the weakness to abandon his king.

On the other side on the right of the King, is the brave Crillon, holding a flag with the initial of Henry, also the Duke of Montmorency, and lastly Brissac, governor of Paris, who seems to call the King's attention, to a group of magistrates, amongst whom is to be observed Lhuillier the Prevot des marchands. At the head of the procession is discovered Marshal de Matignon raising his sword, and in front of the picture, in the middle, the brave Neret holds his two sons embraced in his arms.

This painting justly admired was exhibited at the Salon of 1817, and has been engraved by M. Toschi.

Breadth, 53 feet 4 inches; height 16 feet.