I linked news of this controversy in my newsletter, but as I dug further, I knew I had to write a blog post about it. I’m still working on my blogging about my own trip to Close Lucé, but I’d like to think that this counts as “unusual circumstances.” Full disclosure: during my graduate school
<em>Tag</em> art
I’ve gushed in the past about the prayers books that were created during Renaissance France. Before, they were books that belonged to royal and noblewomen. Color me shocked when I learned that Henry of Navarre, who became Henry IV of France, carried a prayer book of his own. I have the folks at Medievalists to
Where would a good Renaissance era Catholic be without a good prayer book, also known as a Book of Hours? I’ve looked at Henry IV of France’s prayer book earlier, but let’s not forget his illustrious predecessor, Francis I. The British and French began fighting over it (of course they did) as soon as it
I’m addicted to Francois Clouet’s work, probably because I’ve seen it so often that it seems “normal” to me. The last time I went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, I almost had a panic attack until I got to the Renaissance era paintings. (hashtag: “sad”). You can spend hours doing a Google search
While Francis’ library began at the Chateau de Blois, by 1544, it was on the move once again. Determined to expand his literary reputation, Francis made an effort to start a separate collection at the Chateau de Fontainebleau. On May 22, 1544, he ordered in inventory of the library at Blois to prepare them for
Prayer books are one of the most common forms of art that survives from the Renaissance and mideaval eras. Although most ladies knew the scriptures contained in them by heart, they carried these books with them daily as they went about their regular routine. Generally speaking, a prayer book, sometimes referred to as a Book
The grands rhetoriqueurs of Anne of Brittany’s era continued to evolve during the French Renaissance, eventually morphing into official court poets. As France opened their minds to the classical world the landscape of French verse continued to evolve throughout the Sixteenth Century. One of the last surviving grands rhetoriqueurs, Jean Bouchet lived through the reign
Unlike his son Francis, Jean Clouet has very few works that survive him. He almost certainly was the major influence of his son’s work, so his influence spans from the beginning of his own career in 1516 to his son’s death in 1572. There are few completed portraits by either Jean or his son; most
The son of court portraitist Jean Clouet, Francis began his own painting career at the French court in the 1540s. While his father served Francis I, Clouet has the distinction of serving Francis I, Henry II, Francis II and Charles IX until his death in 1572. I like to call Francis the “yearbook photographer” of