#francois clouet

[jeannepompadour]

Lady Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Countess of Lincoln (1527-1590) by François Clouet (1510-1572)

[granstromjulius]

François Clouet

[royalty-nobility]

King François I, King of France (1494–1547) on Horseback

Artist: François Clouet (French, c.1516-1572)

Date: 1530-1599

Medium: Oil on wood panel

Collection: National Trust Collections, London, United Kingdom

Francis I of France

Francis I (French: François Ier; Middle French: Françoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a legitimate son.

A prodigious patron of the arts, Francis promoted the emergent French Renaissance by attracting many Italian artists to work for him, including Leonardo da Vinci, who brought the Mona Lisa, which Francis had acquired. Francis's reign saw important cultural changes with the growth of central power in France, the spread of humanism and Protestantism, and the beginning of French exploration of the New World. Jacques Cartier and others claimed lands in the Americas for France and paved the way for the expansion of the first French colonial empire.

For his role in the development and promotion of the French language, Francis became known as le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres (the 'Father and Restorer of Letters'). He was also known as François au Grand Nez ('Francis of the Large Nose'), the Grand Colas, and the Roi-Chevalier (the 'Knight-King').

In keeping with his predecessors, Francis continued the Italian Wars. The succession of his great rival Emperor Charles V to the Habsburg Netherlands and the throne of Spain, followed by his election as Holy Roman Emperor, led to France being geographically encircled by the Habsburg monarchy. In his struggle against Imperial hegemony, Francis sought the support of Henry VIII of England at the Field of the Cloth of Gold. When this was unsuccessful, he formed a Franco-Ottoman alliance with the Muslim sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, a controversial move for a Christian king at the time.

[lionofchaeronea]

Equestrian Portrait of Dauphin Henri II, François Clouet, ca. 1543

[oldsardens]

Francois Clouet - The Love Letter

[nancydrewwouldnever]

François Clouet, A Lady in her Bath, ca. 1571, oil/panel (National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.)

[tuxedomoon-64]

[lemuseum]

[rubenista]

Jean Clouet, Portrait of Louise of Savoy, mother of Francois I, 16th century. Oil on panel, 22 x 17 cm. Fondation Bemberg, Toulouse.

[resplendentoutfit]

The outrageous, extravagant, often humorous, and sometimes beautiful outfits worn by the subjects of old portraits.

Francis I — Fashion Influencer

François I was a fashion-forward monarch. He was fond of dressing in the latest, most lavish clothing, made from the finest fabrics and adorned with elaborate details of beading, gold and silver thread embroidery, and gems. He worked with his favorite designers to create elegant, bespoke garments.

François I • Jean Clouet • c. 1530

Francois was a Renaissance influencer who brought the latest fashions to his court at Fountainblu, including "slashing" (more on that in an upcoming post), collars, and the codpiece.

Above, he wears a wide-necked doublet with paned sleeves under dark gold jerkin and a satin overgown with turned-back sleeves. His shirt has a tiny frill edged in black at the neck and wide ruffles at the wrist. 

The Workshop of Joos Van Cleve (1480 or 1490 (ca.) – 1540 or 1541) • Oil on wood applied to the canvas • Château de Fontainebleau, Gallery of Splendours.

François I (Detail)

François I (Detail)

Besides being exquisitely dressed, and perhaps more importantly, Francis I was a great patron of Renaissance architecture and art. During his reign, he built or rebuilt numerous châteaus, including the Louvre in Paris and the magnificent royal residence at Fontainebleau. The king invited the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci to settle in France, and the artist spent his last years there. Francis also collected art works by Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Michelangelo, Titian, and Benvenuto Cellini. His collection of art, including a famous portrait of the king by Titian, became the core of the Louvre museum.

[jeannepompadour]

Portrait of a lady by François Clouet ( c. 1510 – 1572)

[granstromjulius]

François Clouet

[royalty-nobility]

Mary, Queen of Scots

Artist: François Clouet (French, 1510–1572)

Date: c. 1558

Medium: Watercolor on vellum

Collection: Royal Collection Trust, United Kingdom

Description

Mary, Queen of Scots had been betrothed to the Dauphin since the age of 5, and from that moment onwards was raised at the French court. This portrait would most likely have been commissioned by the French royal family from their court artist to commemorate the royal marriage. The jewel-like colours and contrasts of blue background and pink dress emphasise the Scots Queen’s renowned beauty, with sparkling hazel eyes and auburn hair. In a double portrait of Mary as Queen of France with Francis II, in the Livres d’heures de Catherine de Médicis (Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris), Mary is crowned and her hands are joined in prayer. However, the face, hair dressed with pearls and costume with standing collar in the manuscript illumination derive from the present work, indicating that Clouet’s miniature was an important prototype for portraits of the Scottish and French Queen.

[thefreelancehistorywriter]

Claude de Valois, Duchess of Lorraine

Claude of France, Duchess of Lorraine by Francois Clouet With Claude de Valois, we have a unique example of a happy aristocratic marriage. Having grown up together at the French court, the couple knew each other and were compatible. A favorite of her mother, Queen Catherine de’Medici, the many years of childbirth took a harsh toll on her body. Claude was born at the palace of Fontainebleau on…

[katallure]

CLOUET, FRANCOIS

A Lady in her Bath (Diane de Poitiers?)

[bodidarma]

Francois, Duc d'Alencon by Francois Clouet, 1561