Fourteenth century French art was still dominated by the International
Gothic style, even as a new Renaissance style developed in Italy.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES [ edit ]
Describe the characteristics and important artists related to French panel painting in the 15th
century.
Discuss the transition of French panel paintings from sacred to secular themes in the 15th century.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel made of wood, either a single piece or a number
of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular supportmedium in the
16th century, it was the normal form of support for a painting not on a wall (fresco) or vellum.
Until the 17th century, most panels in France were made from oak, the material Leonardo da
Vinci used for his paintings in France; however a few panels made of walnut and poplar have been
found.
Notable painters in France during the 15th century include Jacques Fouquet, the unidentified
painter known as the Master of Parement, Jacquemart de Hesdin, and the Netherlandish
Limbourg brothers.
The Limbourg brothers were famous Dutch miniaturepainters who became known for their
advancements in landscapes and naturalistic representation, as seen in their famous work
the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.
TERM [ edit ]
International Gothic
A phase of Gothic art which developed in Burgundy, Bohemia, France, and northern Italy in the
late 14th century and early 15th century.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [ edit ]
Overview
A panel painting is a painting made on a
flat panel made of wood, either a single
piece or a number of pieces joined
together. Until canvas became the more
popular support medium in the
16th century, panels were the normal form
of support for a painting not painted
directly onto a wall (known as a fresco), or
vellum, which was used for miniatures
in illuminated manuscripts and paintings
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for the framing.
From sacred to secular
By the 15th century, along with the increased wealth of Europe, the appearance of humanism,
and a changing attitude about the function of art and patronage, panel painting moved away
from altarpieces and religious subjects. Secular art opened the way to the creation of chests,
painted beds, birth trays and other furniture. Many such works have now been detached and
hung framed on walls in museums, and many double­sided wings of altarpieces have been
sawed into two one­sided panels. While there was a growing market for secular painting,
though, most 15th century French panel painting was still religious in nature and
included votiveportraits.
Changing media and styles
Until the 17th century, most panels in France were made from oak, the material Leonardo da
Vinci used for his paintings in France; however a few panels made of walnut and poplar have
been found.
French art in the 14th century was still dominated by theInternational Gothic style, even as a
new Renaissance style developed in Italy. Notable painters in France during the 15thcentury
include Jacques Fouquet , the unidentified painter known as the Master of Parement,
Jacquemart de Hesdin, and the Netherlandish Limbourg brothers.
Jacques Fouquet, right wing of Melun Diptych; Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels (c.1450)
The Madonna is depicted here as the Queen of Heaven, and is meant to reveal her as between the veil of
heaven and earth. The Virgin is believed to be an idealized portrait of Agnès Sorel, mistress of King
Charles VII, who died two years earlier. Sorel was considered by many at the time to be "the most
beautiful woman in the world" and therefore an obvious choice after which to model the Virgin.
The Limbourg brothers (Herman, Paul, and Johan) were famous Dutch miniature painters
from the city of Nijmegen. They were active in the early 15th century in France and
Burgundy, and created what is certainly the best known latemedieval illuminated
manuscript, the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. The work of the brothers set an
example for the next generation of painters, especially in their use of light and emphasis on
landscapes. In the Très Riches Heures,people were shown reflected in the water, the earliest
representation of this type of reflection known thus far. The Limbourgs developed a more
naturalistic mode of representation and developed portraiture of people and surroundings.
In the late 15th century, the French invasion of Italy and the proximity of the vibrant
Burgundy court, with its Flemish connections, brought the French into contact with the
goods, paintings, and the creative spirit of the Northern and Italian Renaissance. Initial
artistic changes at that time in France were executed by Italian and Flemish artists, such as
Jean Clouet and his son François Clouet, along with the Italians, Rosso Fiorentino,
Francesco Primaticcio, and Niccolò dell'Abbate, who constituted what is often called the first
School of Fontainebleau (c. 1531). Leonardo da Vinci also was invited to France by François
I, but other than the paintings which he brought with him, he produced little for the French
king.