Citation link:
https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/monatshefte_kunstwissenschaft1909/0364
French sixteenth century portraiture with special
reference to the new Francois Clouet in the Louvre
By L. M. Richter
The portrait of Pierre Qutte by Francois Clouet which has been recently
acquired by the Louvre throws new light on the still somewhat nebulous question
of the French 16th century portraiture. With it, we are now in the possesion of a
picture which not only bears the signature of its author: „Fr. Janetu Opus PE. QVTT10.
AMICO. SINGVLARI AETATIS SVE 63. 1562", but which actually brings before us
a special friend of the artist who lived in his close vicinity at Paris. Dr. von Frimmel
was the first to draw attention to this interesting work 9, which he discovered in the
collection of a private gentleman in Vienna. He tried in vain, however, to identify
the name of Petrus Qvttio among the scientific and literary contemporaries of the
artist; subsequently M. H. Stein was fortunate enough to find it in the registers of
the Paris municipality, changed into Pierre Qutte and refering to a well known
apothecary who owned a famous Botanical garden in the neighbourhood of Paris,
which served him in his profession.
Compared with other works of Fr. Clouet this portrait is to be considered one
of his best achievements: the intelligent look of a thinking man which characterizes
the face of P. Qutte makes it moreover more attractive than the portraits of some of
the empty-looking courtiers whom the artist as court-painter was so often compelled
to portray. The well drawn hands, the open book, with illustrations of various
plants, referring to the profession of the sitter, the curtain on the left, with its remark-
able tints of shadows and lights, qualify the painter as an artist of high Standard,
who fully deserved the praises, that Ronsard the poet, has bestowed upon him.
There is only one more signed work extant of Fr. Clouet. It is the life-size portrait
of Charles IX (painted in 1563): at the Vienna-Gallery 2), with which Catherine de
Medici 3) is known to have commissioned Fr. Clouet on the eve of the kings engage-
ment with Elisabeth of Austria. The effects of his extravagant tastes and self-
indulgence, since he had come to the throne, as Charles IX can already be traced
on this portrait: especially if we compare it with an earlier coloured drawing at
Dresden where the future king of France still looks a bonny boy, who might be
credited with the good qualities which he was said to have possessed before he came
ander the evil influence of his mother. This drawing is reproduced with slight
variations as portrait in oil at Chantilly; which would seem a proof that Fr. Clouet,
9 Blätter für Gemäldekunst von Dr. Th. von Frimmel 1907.
2) A miniature-copy of it is in the Louvre; probably by Clouet himself.
8) The small effigy of Catherine di Medici at Vienna is also proved to be authentic by the
fact that M. F. Mazerolle found the account of it in the Clairembault MS. No. 233, p. 2992,
Bibl. Nat. Paris.
reference to the new Francois Clouet in the Louvre
By L. M. Richter
The portrait of Pierre Qutte by Francois Clouet which has been recently
acquired by the Louvre throws new light on the still somewhat nebulous question
of the French 16th century portraiture. With it, we are now in the possesion of a
picture which not only bears the signature of its author: „Fr. Janetu Opus PE. QVTT10.
AMICO. SINGVLARI AETATIS SVE 63. 1562", but which actually brings before us
a special friend of the artist who lived in his close vicinity at Paris. Dr. von Frimmel
was the first to draw attention to this interesting work 9, which he discovered in the
collection of a private gentleman in Vienna. He tried in vain, however, to identify
the name of Petrus Qvttio among the scientific and literary contemporaries of the
artist; subsequently M. H. Stein was fortunate enough to find it in the registers of
the Paris municipality, changed into Pierre Qutte and refering to a well known
apothecary who owned a famous Botanical garden in the neighbourhood of Paris,
which served him in his profession.
Compared with other works of Fr. Clouet this portrait is to be considered one
of his best achievements: the intelligent look of a thinking man which characterizes
the face of P. Qutte makes it moreover more attractive than the portraits of some of
the empty-looking courtiers whom the artist as court-painter was so often compelled
to portray. The well drawn hands, the open book, with illustrations of various
plants, referring to the profession of the sitter, the curtain on the left, with its remark-
able tints of shadows and lights, qualify the painter as an artist of high Standard,
who fully deserved the praises, that Ronsard the poet, has bestowed upon him.
There is only one more signed work extant of Fr. Clouet. It is the life-size portrait
of Charles IX (painted in 1563): at the Vienna-Gallery 2), with which Catherine de
Medici 3) is known to have commissioned Fr. Clouet on the eve of the kings engage-
ment with Elisabeth of Austria. The effects of his extravagant tastes and self-
indulgence, since he had come to the throne, as Charles IX can already be traced
on this portrait: especially if we compare it with an earlier coloured drawing at
Dresden where the future king of France still looks a bonny boy, who might be
credited with the good qualities which he was said to have possessed before he came
ander the evil influence of his mother. This drawing is reproduced with slight
variations as portrait in oil at Chantilly; which would seem a proof that Fr. Clouet,
9 Blätter für Gemäldekunst von Dr. Th. von Frimmel 1907.
2) A miniature-copy of it is in the Louvre; probably by Clouet himself.
8) The small effigy of Catherine di Medici at Vienna is also proved to be authentic by the
fact that M. F. Mazerolle found the account of it in the Clairembault MS. No. 233, p. 2992,
Bibl. Nat. Paris.