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The life of Francois Clouet lies somewhat in the dark of history and many data about him are not completely certain. The only thing we know is that his father Jean Clouet, who probably used to be called Janet Cloet, came from near the city of Brussels, which at the time belonged to the Netherlands. He later lived in France at the court of King Francis I as court painter and valet, although he was not French. The young Francois Clouet was probably born around 1510. He was granted French civil rights. Sometime around 1540 he inherited, so to speak, the office of his father and also became court painter and chamber servant, first under King Francis I, then under his son and successor Henry II and finally under King Charles IX. The Clouets were a dynasty of painters. In addition to Jean Clouet, who was also referred to as Janet or Jeannhet in some documents, there was another brother who was court painter to Marguerite d'Angouléme, who was King Francis' sister and was called Clouet de Navarre. The name Janet or Jeannhet is also sometimes used in some historical sources as the surname of the son and nephew. These name entanglements mean that it is sometimes not entirely clear to which of these three artists a particular painting can be attributed. At least this is true for his early works. In the later works the father Clouet probably did not live.
In any case Francois Clouet was a very good portrait painter of his time. He painted King Francis I, King Charles IX, Marguerite of France, Catherine of the Medici and Empress Elisabeth of Austria and many other nobles, but also scenes from society. His masterpiece is the portrait of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, a chalk drawing. The special thing about Francois Clouet's painting style was his absolute attention to detail. Every seam of clothing, every wrinkle, every piece of jewellery and every peculiarity in the face and figure were meticulously depicted. He even took off the death mask of Henry II in order to be able to paint a lifelike picture of the ruler that was to be shown at the state funeral. The artist died at the age of about 72 years. He left behind two illegitimate daughters who had cared for him and now went to a nunnery. His fortune and the work he left behind were considerable.
The life of Francois Clouet lies somewhat in the dark of history and many data about him are not completely certain. The only thing we know is that his father Jean Clouet, who probably used to be called Janet Cloet, came from near the city of Brussels, which at the time belonged to the Netherlands. He later lived in France at the court of King Francis I as court painter and valet, although he was not French. The young Francois Clouet was probably born around 1510. He was granted French civil rights. Sometime around 1540 he inherited, so to speak, the office of his father and also became court painter and chamber servant, first under King Francis I, then under his son and successor Henry II and finally under King Charles IX. The Clouets were a dynasty of painters. In addition to Jean Clouet, who was also referred to as Janet or Jeannhet in some documents, there was another brother who was court painter to Marguerite d'Angouléme, who was King Francis' sister and was called Clouet de Navarre. The name Janet or Jeannhet is also sometimes used in some historical sources as the surname of the son and nephew. These name entanglements mean that it is sometimes not entirely clear to which of these three artists a particular painting can be attributed. At least this is true for his early works. In the later works the father Clouet probably did not live.
In any case Francois Clouet was a very good portrait painter of his time. He painted King Francis I, King Charles IX, Marguerite of France, Catherine of the Medici and Empress Elisabeth of Austria and many other nobles, but also scenes from society. His masterpiece is the portrait of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, a chalk drawing. The special thing about Francois Clouet's painting style was his absolute attention to detail. Every seam of clothing, every wrinkle, every piece of jewellery and every peculiarity in the face and figure were meticulously depicted. He even took off the death mask of Henry II in order to be able to paint a lifelike picture of the ruler that was to be shown at the state funeral. The artist died at the age of about 72 years. He left behind two illegitimate daughters who had cared for him and now went to a nunnery. His fortune and the work he left behind were considerable.