Simon de Passe, A Gold Engraved Portrait Medal Representing the Infanta Mary of Austria (1606-1646), London, 1616-1620. Gold, 5.6 x 4.4 cm (2.2 x 1.7 in.). Signed Simon Pass: fecit. Lond. Courtesy ENDLICH ANTIQUAIRS at TEFAF Maastricht 2023.
Provenance: With S.J. Phillips, London, shown during Tefaf, Maastricht, March 2001
Private collection, Netherlands.
Passe worked in London when an attempt was made to arrange a marriage between the Catholic Infanta Maria (1606 Escorial - Linz 1646), daughter of King Philip III of Spain (ruled 1598-1621), and Prince Charles (Dunfermline 1600 - 1649 Whitehall, London), son of King James I of England (ruled 1603-1625). The King's daughter Elizabeth (1596-1662) had married the Protestant Elector Palatine of the Rhine, Frederick V (1596 Deinschwang - Mainz 1632), in 1613. Already in 1614 Infante Maria was considered to be a suitable match.
After four years of fruitless negotiations, the deliberations were cancelled, because the Spanish terms proved unacceptable. In 1618 James I broke off the negotiations. Although the discussions were resumed in 1622, when the future King travelled to Spain with George Villiers, Ist Duke of Buckingham, the scheme came to nothing. There was widespread rejoicing amongst the English, nervous of an alliance with a powerful Roman Catholic country. This rare medallion belongs to the earlier phase of the negotiations, before 1621, when Phillip III, father of the Infanta, died.
NDB: Cf. a similar one,in silver, in Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
A silver plaque rpresenting the Infanta Maria of Austria, by Simon van de Passe (born in Cologne, Germany, possibly in 1595, died in Copenhagen, 1647). Silver, engraved. Height: 5.5cm; Width: 4.3cm. Victoria & Albert Museum, 963-1904. © Victoria & Albert Museum, London
From 1614 the Catholic Infanta Maria (1606-1646), daughter of Philip III of Spain (ruled 1598-1621), was being considered as a suitable match for Prince Charles (1600-1649), son of James I (ruled 1603-1625). The King's daughter Elizabeth (1596-1662) had married the Protestant Elector Palatine of the Rhine, Frederick V (1596-1632), in 1613. After four years of negotiations, the Spanish terms proved unacceptable. In 1618 James I broke off the negotiations. Although the discussions were resumed in 1622 when the future King travelled to Spain with George Villiers, Ist Duke of Buckingham, the scheme came to nothing. There was widespread rejoicing amongst the English, nervous of an alliance with a powerful Roman Catholic country. This rare medallion belongs to the earlier phase of the negotiations, before 1621, when Phillip III, father of the Infanta, died.
Simon de Passe (possibly born in 1595, died 1647) was born in Cologne and worked as an engraver in Utrecht in The Netherlands .He spent some time in Copenhagen working for Anne of Denmark's brother Christian IV, King of Denmark-Norway (ruled 1588-1648). In England he received orders from James I to produce a series of portrait medallions in silver, perhaps as gifts for favoured courtiers. One at least is dated 1616 and the series was completed by 1619.
