Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 June 2021
Around 1604, Henri IV commissioned a cycle of mural maps depicting royal residences in Fontainebleau's newly constructed Galerie des Cerfs. The gallery was part of Henri IV's response to the dynastic disruption and civil war that had precipitated his ascendance and was designed to signal his authority over France as a unified realm. This article examines the Galerie des Cerfs in the context of contemporary cartography and architecture as an expression of continuity at a moment when the royal family's retreat to the Paris region threatened the political efficacy of the architectural network that had previously sustained the monarchy.
As ever, I am grateful to Sara Galletti for her suggestions on this essay. I would also like to express gratitude for the feedback of colleagues and conference participants at Duke and Rice Universities, as well as to the anonymous reviewers whose insights improved the text. Conversations with Kyle G. Sweeney helped shape my thoughts on early modern maps, and Corinne Noirot kindly assisted with an enigmatic translation quandary.