Jean Clouet - Portrait of Francois Ier, King of France

Title: Portrait of Francois Ier, King of France
Artist: Jean Clouet (1480-1541)
Date: c. 1530
Medium: Oil on oak panel
Dimensions: 96 x 74 cm

Jean Clouet’s portrait of Francois Ier is of interest both because it set the standard in representations of regal figures and because it fixated the way François Ier would be remembered forever. His body takes up all the space conveying a sense of being in control and of might. The royal insignias in the background tell us he is king. His hand on the grip of a sword says he is a fighter, a man of war. Yet his long, manicured fingers and his sophisticated clothes show that he is also a refined and educated man. One of his nicknames was Big Nose and that is made clear in the painting, while still drawing a handsome face with a smart, friendly look. A portrait fit for the enthusiastic patron of the arts he was!