Portraits around Marc-Antoine Charpentier

Introduction: The Portrait Gallery

Panel 1 — The Charpentiers of Meaux: The Point of Departure

I Denis the Tawer
Denis Charpentier, maître mégissier of Meaux, the composer’s great-grandfather

II Louis the Bailiff
Louis Charpentier, huissier sergent royal at Meaux, and Anne Broquoys, lingère, his wife, the composer’s grandparents

III Nicolas the Sergeant
Nicolas Charpentier, sergent royal at Meaux, the brother of Louis the Bailiff

IV Pierre the Chaplain and Étienne the Practitioner
Pierre Charpentier, grand chapelain at the cathedral of Meaux, and Étienne Charpentier, praticien at Meaux, the brothers of Louis the Scrivener and the uncles of the composer

V Pasquier the Measurer
Pasquier Charpentier, marchant juré et mesureur de charbon of Meaux, Denis the Tawer’s son-in-law

VI Jacques the Notary
Jacques Charpentier, notaire royal at Meaux, the son of Pasquier the Measurer

VII Samuel the Weaver
Samuel Charpentier, maître tisserand en bays and merchant at the Great Market of Meaux

Panel 2 — The Parisian Cousins: A World of Opportunity

I Monsieur and Madame David Croyer
David Croyer and Jeanne Charpentier, the brother-in-law and sister of Pasquier the Measurer

II Sevin the Aide, Sevin the Bishop
Charles Sevin de Troigny, aide to Charlotte Séguier, and Suzanne Croyer, his wife; and Nicolas Sevin, Bishop of Sarlat and Cahors, his brother

III Havé de Saint-Aubin the Gentleman
Jacques Havé de Saint-Aubin, gentleman in ordinary to Gaston d’Orléans, and his wife, Marthe Croyer

IV Gilles the Secretary
Gilles Charpentier, secretary to the Marquis of Saint-Luc, the son of Jacques the Notary

Panel 3 — The Composer’s Family: Industrious but Impecunious

I Louis the Scrivener
Louis Charpentier, maître écrivain juré of Paris, the composer’s father

II Étiennette the Linener
Étienne Charpentier,maîtresse lingère of Paris, the composer’s sister

III Élisabeth the Wife and Mother
Élisabeth Charpentier, wife of Jean Édouard, maître joueur d’instruments and maître à danser, the composer’s sister

IV Marie the Converse
Marie Charpentier, known in religion as Sister Sainte-Blandine, converse nun at Port-Royal of Paris, the composer’s sister

V Armand-Jean the Engineer
Armand-Jean Charpentier, écrivain, engraver, and ingénieur du Roi, the composer’s brother

VI Marie-Anne the Unfortunate
Marie-Anne Édouard, maîtresse lingère of Paris, successively the wife of François Moreau and Jacques-François Mathas, the composer’s niece

VII Jacques the Bookseller-Printer
Jacques Édouard, master bookseller and printer, the composer’s nephew

Panel 4 — Family Friends: Doors on Which to Knock

I The Châtelet
A Group portrait of the civil lieutenant and his associates

II Marie Talon
Marie Talon, wife of Daniel Voisin, maître des requêtes, Élisabeth Charpentier’s "friend"; and her Voisin, Verthamon, and Versoris in-laws

III Élisabeth-Marie Malier
Élisabeth-Marie Malier, the widow of President Nicolas de Bailleul: Louis de Bailleul, president in the Parlement of Paris, her son; and Marie de Bailleul, his daughter by Marie Le Ragois de Bretonvilliers

IV Élisabeth Grimaudet
Élisabeth Grimaudet, wife of César Lhuillier, royal councillor and comptroller general of the rentes of the Paris City Hall, "friend" of Jean Édouard

V Four Jesuits
Pierre de Verthamon, Louis Voisin, François de la Faluère, and François de la Chaise, Jesuits at the profess house of Saint-Louis

VI The Ferrand family
Françoise Ferrand, wife of René Lefèvre de la Faluère, first president in the Parlement of Brittany, and her paternal aunts and uncles, "friends" of Étiennette Charpentier

Panel 4 — Roman Contacts: Opening Roman Doors

I Carissimi of the German College
Iacomo Carissimi, chapel master of the Jesuit Germanicum in Rome

II Dalibert of the Riario Palace
Jacques II Dalibert, secretary and impresario to Queen Christina of Sweden

III Dassoucy the Poet-Composer
Charles Coypeaux Dassoucy, author, musician, and adventurer

IV Chaulnes of the Farnese Palace
Charles d’Albert d’Ailly, Duke of Chaulnes and peer of the realm, French ambassador to Rome, 1666–1668

Panel 5 — Charpentier’s Collaborators: One Does What One is Permitted to Do, One Does What One Must Do

I Molière
Jean-Baptiste Pocquelin, actor and playwright

II Du Bois the Chapel Master
Philippe Goibaut du Bois, sieur du Bois et de la Grugère, known as "Monsieur Du Bois"

III Corneille the Younger
Thomas Corneille, playwright. librettist, and co-editor of the Mercure galant

IV Donneau and the Press
Jean Donneau de Visé, playwright and editor of the Mercure galant

V The Guise Music
The Core Trio and the Great Guise Music

Panel 7 — Discreet Commissions in Prestigious Locales: Their Devotion Shaped His Creativity but He Was Rarely Mentioned

I The Mercy: Our Lady of Mercy and Ransom
The Mercedarian convent of Notre-Dame de la Mercy et de la Rédemption des Captifs, on the rue du Chaume

II The Theatines: Sainte-Anne-la-Royale
The Theatin church of Sainte-Anne-la-Royale on the quay near the rue des Saints-Pères

III The Abbaye-aux-Bois and the Little Carmel of the rue du "Bouloir"
The Abbaye-aux-Bois of the Faubourg Saint-Germain, and the Carmel royal de Sainte-Thérèse, on the rue du Bouloi near the Louvre

IV The Three Jesuit Churches
The Church of Saint-Louis on the rue Saint-Antoine, the Chapel of the Noviciate on the rue du Pot-de-Fer, and the Chapel of the College of Louis the Great on the rue Saint-Jacques

V The Sainte-Chapelle of the Palace of Justice
The Chapter of the Sainte-Chapelle du Palais on the Île de la Cité

Panel 8 — Elite Patrons: Some of the Princesses’ Friends Allowed His Name to be Linked to Theirs

I Domestics of the Infant Jesus
Nicolas Le Jeune de Franqueville, founder of the Hôtel of the Infant Jesus; and Father Nicolas Barré, Minim, founder of the Daughters of the Infant Jesus

II Riants the Procurator
Armand-Jean de Riants, procureur royal at the Châtelet of Paris

III Le Brun the Painter
Charles Le Brun, First Painter to the King and Chancellor of the Academy of Painting for life

IV Harlay the Archbishop and Madame Harlay of Port-Royal
François II de Harlay de Champvallon, Archbishop of Paris; and Marguerite de Harlay, Abbess of Port-Royal, his sister

V Richelieu of Rueil
Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, Duke of Richelieu and peer of the realm

Panel 9 — The Princely Houses of Bourbon and Orléans: Madame de Guise’s cousins, Madame de Guise’s House

I Monsieur and Madame d’Orléans
Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans, known as "Monsieur," and Marguerite de Lorraine, his wife, known as "Madame," who became the Dowager Duchess of Orléans, the parents of Madame de Guise

II The King, the Queen, and the Dauphin
Louis XIV, King of France; Marie-Thérèse of Austria, Queen of France; and Louis de Bourbon, Dauphin of France, known as "Monseigneur"

III Two Philippes of the House of Orléans
Philippe II de France, Duke of Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV; and Philippe III, Duke of Chartres, his son

IV Madame de Toscane
Marguerite-Louise d’Orléans, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Madame de Guise’s sister

V Isabelle d’Orléans of Alençon
Élisabeth ("Isabelle") d’Orléans, known in her youth as "Mademoiselle d’Alençon," and after 1667 as "Madame de Guise"

Panel 10 — The House of Guise: Their Composer is the Reflection of Their Glory and the Audible Voice of Their Prayers

I Mademoiselle Marie de Guise and Her Family
Marie-Louise de Lorraine, known as "Mademoiselle de Guise"; and Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, and Henriette-Catherine de Joyeuse, her parents

II Mademoiselle Marie the Regent
Marie de Lorraine of Guise, guardian of Joseph-Louis de Lorraine, Duke of Guise

III The Abbess of Montmartre
Françoise-Renée de Lorraine, Abbess of the Royal Benedictine Abbey of Montmartre, known as "Madame de Montmartre"

IV Louis-Joseph, the Last Duke of Guise
Louis-Joseph de Lorraine, Duke of Guise, Joyeuse, and Angoulême, Prince of Joinville, and Count of Eu and Pont hieu, the last Duke of Guise

V Madame de Guise
Isabelle d’Orléans, wife and widow of the last Duke of Guise, earlier known as "Mademoiselle d’Alençon"

VI Marie de Lorraine, The Last Guise
High and Powerful Princess Mademoiselle Marie de Lorraine, Duchesse of Guise and Joyeuse, Princess of Joinville, Hereditary Senechal of Champagne

Panel 11 — They Too Bear Witness: They Preserved Evidence, They Influenced

I Mademoiselle de Montpensier
Anne-Marie-Louise d’Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, also known as "Mademoiselle," or the "Grande Mademoiselle," Mademoiselle de Guise’s niece and Madame de Guise’s half-sister

II The Poison Investigators
The anonymous scriveners who recorded facts about "La Charpentier," Belot, and some people with familiar names who were investigated during the Poison Affair

III Gaignières the "Curieux"
François-Roger de Gaignières, equerry to the Guises and governor of Joinville

IV The Four Roquettes
Gabriel de Roquette, Bishop of Autun; Christophle de Roquette d’Amades, his brother, Mademoiselle de Guise’s intendant; and Christophle’s sons, Henri-Auguste-Louis de Roquette, Abbot of Gildas, and Henri-Emmanuel de Roquette d’Amades

V Vallant the Physician
Noël Vallant, physician to the Guises, the Abbey of Montmartre, and the Abbaye-aux-Bois

VI Loulié and Brossard
Étienne Loulié, musician to Mademoiselle de Guise and theorist of sound; and Sébastien de Brossard, his friend, collector, theorist, and composer

The Portrait at the End of the Gallery

Marc-Antoine Charpentier