Engraving of the Family Tree of the Kings of France. Year 1608. Original Color

Magnificent original engraving from the early 17th century (1608), depicting the family tree of the Kings of France. The engraving is made in black ink on white paper and attracts our attention for its aesthetical beauty and the impressive colors it displays. These colors are the original one and have survived to our days in amazing condition, providing the engraving with bright and life. As well as the family tree and its cartouches, the work is also adorned with a wonderful landscape at the bottom and two big descriptive cartouches full of decorative details. In the center of the engraving stands the family tree itself. Its thick trunk is located in the sheets vertical axe; the land where it grows bears the first cartouche from which the royal dynasties start. In the text we can read the year when the first ruler was killed, 867. The rest of the cartouches are located in the trees trunk and its branches. The scheme is well organized and easy to follow thanks to the detailed information (written in Latin) about the monarchs and their relatives that fill each cartouche. The tree is performed in a very naturalist way. Some cartouches (the ones corresponding to the kings and queens) bear a crown on them. The branches and the trunk are precisely drawn and colored, also adorned with small green leaves. At the bottom of the engraving rests a gorgeous landscape depicting the French city of Rouen (Rotomagus in Latin, a name that we can read to the left of the tree). In the left bottom corner there is another beautiful cartouche, rectangular in shape and containing the engravings title. It is decorated with coats of arms, naked cherubs and heraldic motives. To the left, another fantastic engraving contains two oval medals with the portraits of a king and a queen, with the fleur-de-lis between them; under these portraits we can see a schematic plan of a city, probably Rouen. The striking beauty of this ancient engraving with original coloring turns it into a unique piece, perfect to embellish a classy room. Measurements: Paper: Width: 23.6 in/60 cm. Height: 17.3 in/44 cm. Engraving: Width:20.8 in/ 53.3 cm. Height: 15.6 in/39.8 cm.