The politics of promiscuity: Masculinity and heroic representation at the court of Henry IV

This article examines the dynamics of image production at the court of Henry IV. Because of the difficulties of his succession and his lack of legitimate heirs, Henry and hist artists worked to represent the king as heroically masculine. Concerns about Henry's sexual behavior, however, undermined crucial aspects of his masculine presentation. The king's willingness to subvert the traditions of the monarchy on behalf of his mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrees, caused concern about the king's lack of self-control. Protests and criticism forced Henry to defend his masculinity in personal and pictorial terms. Often seemingly laudatory images remained replete with anxiety about Henry's sex life even after he had produced legitimate heirs with his marriage to Marie de Medicis. To diffuse the tensions, royal images shifted toward a representational scheme based on multiple heroic identifications that expressed both the positive aspects and concerns about royal masculinity.