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This is a painting called the Felicity of the Regency by Paul Rubens, completed in 1625. It was part of a group of paintings in a cycle in the Galerie Medici, grand canvases dedicated to the life of Marie de Medici. They were housed in the Luzembourg Palace upon the Queen's return from exile and was commissioned by her in 1622. While each of the paintings are set up in a specific order beginning to end to tell a story, this one was rearranged due to another painting depicting the Queen's retreat being too controversial and critical of the monarchy. This particular is meant by Rubens to display the benefits of the Queen's rule during her time as regent. (Louvre, Department of Paintings)

The exposal of Marie's breasts was originally thought to be a reminder of her Virgin-like qualities, but it's portrayal became worrisome at the time of it's display because of the context which it was put in. Instead of it being used and viewed as natural feminine beauty, which was standard at the time, it was paired with male regal paerphinilia. We can see that here, she's sitting on the throne, a custom furniture for a king, and holding the scales of justice, a duty for a male ruler. Ruben's included this juxtaposition as a way to promote her regal abilities, but it led to men at the time fearing the rise of women using their feminity, like these breasts, to trick men and dominate. There were laws against female monarchs at the time, but historically, women used deceitful tricks to gain power. Marie desired more power and in combination of the fact that she ordered these paintings made with her female nudity being portrayed alongside the symbols of traditional male power, served as a portrayal of challenge toward the patriarchal society. It is unknown if that was what she intended, but that was the effect it had at the time. (Johnson, 453-456)

"In the course of the Medici cycle project, answers to this question fluctuated, leading to a sense of uncertainty in the message being projected by the gallery as a whole" The threat of female nudity and gaze with the threatening overtones of Marie de Medici's power drew harsh criticism from viewers. The triumph of the Queen and female power over society was a feared hidden theme in the cycle, which caused Rubens to try to not make the Queen as victorious as he originally intended to. This painting increased the uncertainty of the supposed portrayal of the Queen's triumph. It was dedicated towards the benefits and virtues of the Queen's reign, implying that her time as sovereign was simply better then others. The painting backed this up by showing the jolly attendants around the queen. The two angels around her playing trumpets, the women handing out gold to the artistic children, the locked up criminals at the bottom, the angelic couple looking up in admiration. All boons Ruben's believed France was granted because of her. The theme of her triumph as sovereign was made clear here through symbolizations and iconography. (Johnson, 456)

Ruben's composition of these paintings was designed to accentuate the visual rhetoric of female nudity to increase visual consumption by the audience. However, it was often interpreted as a means for showing striking power over others. His positioning of nude bodies, as seen here , were either in the centre of the painting or in the fowardmost peripheral part of it. The two nudee women on the right of the Queen in this case. He also used brighter shades of coloring to contrast them with a darker background to draw the viewer in privately, and engage with the figures for recreation. The darker area around the females here helps draw out their vibrant white, tan, and pink colors, but it's seems alluring rather then provocative. It was done by Rubens to show only seductive qualities and no feminine usurpation or rebellious ideals about the Queen. (Johnson 457-458)

The story and context behind this paintings is complicated. Marie de Medici wanted it done in order to prove her worthiness and tell her side of the political turmoil that engulfed France at the time. Henri IV died, effectively allowing Marie De Medici to take power as Regent, while her son Louis XIII, grew up. It ended a little badly, with her being exiled after he came of age for refusing to give up power, so this cycle is heavily embellished with favorable views of the Queen. Like you discussed, Ruben's specialty is creating pageographic stories in a narrative, this Gallerie being her life of course, so that's why he was chosen for this. You mentioned the narrative coaelscing into a tripartine of structures in your analysis, in the Medici cycle, Ruben's doesn't accomplish this with dramatic lighting, but with a sort of natural toned vibrant coloring of all the subjects accompanied with dynamic transitions between their positioning to create a sort of linear story. It's dramatic propaganda, but also heavily involved in categorizing her life in a religious and mythologized weight. Some of that is present here with the black knight in armor ar the side, Censored political makeup alongside the worship of the queen is what this cycle promotes. Elements of regal worship are here, with the cornoccupia on top of her, the man gazing up at her devotingly, and those women with a sort of halo on them. The new dawn for France of her regency is present in the distant sky with those playing trumpets alongside her holding the hand of absolute righteousness. (Louvre, Department of Painting)

"By calmly and steadily returning the outside viewer's gaze, Marie de' Medici adopts a position which is equal to that of the men who view her." Her acknowledgement of the viewers and the whole cycle, acts as a sort of striking meta-commentary of hers, is that she is unflinching and powerful in her drive to reclaim her lost power. Her acting outside of her bounds in the many paintings shows that while she valued these major event in her life, her status during that time was the more important then anything that occured. It is meant to speak towards her worshippers and viewers alike, that she can see them and they are meant to admire her being a mother/wife while at the same time being a powerful ruler. Like how men want to admire beauty and be loved over themselves when they triumph. In this specific painting, her gaze shows her complacency and unwavering show of certainty that everything in France revolved around her on the throne. Rubens was trying to navigate tine many ambigous ways his rhetoric could be interpreted while trying to express his own meaning. That was supposedly only accomplished on how his paintings are organized and what perspective or categorization in the 17th century culture did Ruben's possibly convey? (Johnson 461-463)

The style of this painting embolizes classic Baorque mantras, but it is headed up by a sort of realisitic Carraviggistic way. Swirly and full-figured curved bodies are the main thing here. This is combined of course with religious and mythological references in the subjects. The two kids besides her throne are supposed to be Cupid and Minerva, which makes sense as one of them holds Good in place. The people on the left signifies France as the women and Saturn as the angel blowing the horn, signalling the new age. Which again checks out, as you mentioned before, the wearing of unique, foreign garb to show globalization and variety in his subjects, France wears a medieval helmet not seen among any of the other subjects in any shape or style. The man could be Henri VI in the afterlife, gripping the country to show his families unification even postmortem and cement her legitimacy. The women on her left are Prudence with her snake on her leg and Prosperity with her cornucoppia (another one right?), and they are helping out the angel kids which turn out to be the fine arts and the men they are stepping on are ignorance, slander and envy. All this iconography and unique references are most likely meant to show the flourishing of fine arts in the country and that even religious and mythological icons praise heer triumph and ascension (Louvre, Department of Paintings)