Portrait of Francis I
by François Clouet, 1535
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1535
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Size
- 96 cm × 74 cm
Cite or Embed This Work
APA · MLA · Chicago1-click academic citation and embeddable “On View” museum badge for articles, syllabi, and research.
François Clouet (or his father Jean) created this iconic image of the French king around 1530. Francis I appears as a bust, almost frontal, with a three-quarters face. He wears rich attire befitting royalty but no crown or scepter. One striking innovation: the king looks directly at the viewer.
The portrait was painted on a small oak panel using oil and tempera. Attribution has bounced between father and son for decades, with the gouache version now generally assigned to Jean Clouet. The image became the definitive likeness of Francis I, influencing all later depictions. Now at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Also at Louvre, Paris
View all →Sculpture
A
Artemis of Versailles
Ancient Roman (Unknown), -100
Louvre, Paris, Paris
T
The Concert: Singer and Theorbo Player
Gerard ter Borch
Louvre, Paris, Paris
T
The Combat of Mars and Minerva
Jacques-Louis David
Louvre, Paris, Paris
M
Madonna and Sleeping Child with Three Angels
Bernardino Luini
Louvre, Paris, Paris
Related Works
Works that share an artist, movement, museum, genre, palette or theme with Portrait of Francis I.
- Same movement
- Same museum
Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione
Raphael, 1515
- Same movement
- Same museum
Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci, 1503
- Same movement
- Same museum
Man with a Glove
Titian, 1523
- Same movement
- Same museum
Sigismondo Malatesta
Piero della Francesca
- Same movement
- Same museum
La Belle Ferronnière
Leonardo da Vinci, 1496
- Same movement
- Same museum
The Holy Family
Bernardino Luini
- Same movement
- Same museum
Iseppo and Adriano da Porto
Paolo Veronese
- Same movement
- Same museum
The Wedding at Cana
Paolo Veronese, 1563
- Same museum
- Same genre
Portrait of King Louis XV
Maurice Quentin de La Tour
- Same museum
- Same genre
Portrait of a Young Man
Parmigianino
- Same movement
The Duke and Duchess of Urbino
Piero della Francesca, 1472
- Same movement
Ecce Homo
Andrea Mantegna, 1500
About Portrait of Francis I
Attribution debates continue between François Clouet and his father Jean Clouet. Jean served as court painter from 1516. The work dates to around 1530 and became the definitive image of the French king.
The painting hangs at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Louvre also holds related works including an equestrian miniature portrait of Francis I from around 1540.
Francis I looks directly at the viewer, unusual for royal portraits of this period. He appears without crown or scepter, shown simply as a bust. This intimate approach influenced later royal portraiture.
The panel measures 96 x 74 cm (37.75 x 29 inches). It was painted on oak using oil and tempera, typical materials for Renaissance panel paintings at the French court.
Own Art Like This
Luxury wall art with the same mood and energy. Gallery-quality canvas, no museum crowds.
Browse Collection