france, paris






Simon Vouet was a French painter who studied and rose to prominence in Italy before being summoned by Louis XIII to serve as Premier peintre du Roi in France. He and his studio of artists created religious and mythological paintings, portraits, frescoes, tapestries, and massive decorative schemes for the king and for wealthy patrons, including Richelieu. During this time, "Vouet was indisputably the leading artist in Paris," and was immensely influential in introducing the Italian Baroque style of painting to France. He was also "without doubt one of the outstanding seventeenth-century draughtsmen, equal to Annibale Carracci and Lanfranco."














François Clouet was a major French Renaissance portrait painter.
François was the son of the painter Jean Clouet (1485-1540), from whom he learned painting. He became the favorite court portraitist of Kings Francis I, Henry II, Francis II and Charles IX.
François Clouet became famous for his mastery, accurately conveying the characters of people and meticulously painting their costumes.
