The orders of chivalry are the Order of the Holy Spirit.
Esprit Joaillerie takes you back to the Museum of the Legion of Honor to discover the animals of the equestrian orders there. A discovery that will take place every week by highlighting a particular order.
First of all, it should be noted that the orders of chivalry are a distinction, an honorary title. Animals are frequently depicted on the various distinctive signs of the orders and decorations. As are necklaces, medals, crosses, and ceremonial clothing.
Moreover, this use in the orders has its origins in heraldry, the study of coats of arms.
It should be emphasized that the animals commonly used are always charged with a symbolic meaning. In fact, they often refer to the creation of order.
To begin this series, here is the first order that we will better understand: the order of the Holy Spirit.
This order, created by Henry III in 1578, has as its symbol a dove, a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In this regard, the king devoted a special cult to the Holy Spirit. For he had been elected king of Poland on May 11, 1573, the day of Pentecost. And he became king of France at Pentecost in 1574.
Thus we find the dove, its wings spread, on the insignia of the order. Similarly, it is depicted on this painting by Van Loo. In 1732, Jean-Baptiste Van Loo received a contract from Louis XV ordering him to represent the first ceremony of the order in 1579 by Henri III. This painting will be exhibited in the Grand-Augustins, in the attic of the heart, next to the other paintings illustrating the ceremonies of the Order, under the other great masters Henri IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV. It remained in the church until the Revolution. Then, saved from destruction by Alexandre Lenoir in 1794, the painting was sent from the Petit-Augustins to the Louvre, passing through Versailles.
Since 1924, it has been on display at Museum of the Legion of Honor.
2 rue de la Légion d’Honneur 75007 Paris
From Wednesday to Sunday 13h to 18h
