Lovers reunited

Jacopo da Empoli’s portrayal of the nuptial celebration between Maria de’ Medici and Henry IV was recently spotted by an expert in a Florentine museum and has subsequently been purchased by the Uffizi. It is now on display alongside its original ‘partner’ painting, which depicts Caterina de’ Medici’s marriage to the Duke of Orleans. The two ‘reunited’ masterpieces, commissioned to emphasize the bond between the Medici family and French Royals, were originally displayed side by side at Maria de’ Medici’s wedding banquet at Palazzo Vecchio in 1600.