Faces of the wars of religion

The fratricidal conflicts between Catholics and protestants in France during the second half of the 16th century deeply marked consciences and artists. The clash of arms was paralleled by that of the image, in which the portrait plays a significant role. The collection of drawn, engraved or painted Renaissance portraits held in Chantilly makes it possible to present the protagonists of these events and provide an eloquent overview of this divided period of French history.

The Musée Condé in Chantilly hosts one of the most important collections relating to the Wars of Religion. These civil wars were among the favourite historical periods of the Romantic generation, to which the young Duc d’Aumale belonged. His elder brother, Ferdinand Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, commissioned Paul Delaroche to produce one of the most famous history paintings of the 19th century, The Assassination of the Duc de Guise, which now hangs in the Tribune of the Musée Condé.

As historian of Louis, the first Prince of Condé and a leading figure of the Huguenot party, the Duke of Aumale inherited the extensive Montmorency and Condé archives. He enriched this legacy with the world’s largest collection of drawn, painted, and engraved portraits from the French Renaissance—bringing together the key figures of the Wars of Religion.

Virtual Visit of the Exhibition

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