Jean Clouet
The year 1499 holds a document regarding the succession of Simon Marmion, a painter from Flanders. This record mentions two minor children named Janet and Polet belonging to Michel Clauet. Art historians have long debated whether this Janet was actually Jean Clouet. No definitive proof exists linking the names in that specific legal file to the famous court artist. Most scholars assume he originated from the Burgundian Netherlands around 1485. Some suggest Valenciennes while others point toward Brussels as his birthplace. His father may have been Michel Clauet who settled in Brussels after living in Valenciennes. The evidence remains thin enough that we cannot state his exact origin with certainty.
Jean Clouet appeared in the royal accounts of King Francis I starting in 1516. He began as a painter and wardrobe valet earning 180 livres tournois annually. By 1519 he received a promotion to extraordinary valet status within the household. A significant wage increase occurred in 1522 following the death of Jean Bourdichon. That year his salary rose to 240 livres tournois matching the official portrait painter Jean Perréal. When Perréal left the court in 1527 Clouet became the highest paid ordinary painter available. In 1524 he secured the new position of painter and gentleman. This title allowed him to work for private patrons like Jacques Thiboust. He painted Thiboust's portrait in 1516 and created a Saint Jerome for Pierre Fichepain in 1522.
During the 1520s Jean Clouet lived in Tours where he married Jeanne Boucault. She was the daughter of a goldsmith who worked in that city. The couple raised two children named François and Catherine. François would eventually succeed his father as the court painter. Catherine married Abel Foullon whose son Benjamin also became a portrait painter. Simon Bélot worked inside Clouet's workshop during this period. The family relocated to Paris at the end of the 1520s. They settled on rue Sainte-Avoye within the capital. In July 1540 Clouet served as godfather to a child of Mathurin Régnier. He died shortly after late 1540 or early 1541. His burial took place in the Holy Innocents' Cemetery. An act from the Trésor des Chartes confirmed his son Jean inherited the estate.
No single work currently exists that has been proven to be by Jean Clouet himself. Art historians attribute approximately 10 to 15 portrait paintings to his hand today. Fewer miniatures survive with strong claims to his authorship. Two portraits of Francis I reside in the Louvre alongside smaller works from his workshop. One unknown man appears at Hampton Court while another depicts the Dauphin Francis in Antwerp. A portrait of mathematician Oronce Finé painted in 1530 survives only through a print. The painting measured 96.5 x 79 cm and depicted Saint John the Baptist. Other attributed works include a banker from 1522 now held in Saint Louis. Portraits of Madeleine and Charlotte of France date from around 1522. These small panels measure roughly 16 x 13 cm each. A portrait of Madame de Canaples hangs in Edinburgh's National Gallery.
A collection of drawings preserved at Musée Condé in Chantilly contains over 130 portraits. These works are generally believed to be authored by Jean Clouet or his school. Additional drawings exist within the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Seven miniature portraits appear in the Manuscript of the Gallic War under number 13,429. An eighth miniature resides in the J. Pierpont Morgan collection depicting Charles I de Cossé. This specific image matches the characteristics found in the seven known miniatures. Other miniatures in the Morgan collection closely resemble the portrait drawings found in Paris. One album of drawings features annotations written directly by King Francis I himself. The king added merry reflections stinging taunts and biting satires to these images. Definite evidence remains lacking for establishing the attribution of the best drawings.
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Common questions
When was Jean Clouet born and where did he originate from?
Jean Clouet originated from the Burgundian Netherlands around 1485. Some scholars suggest Valenciennes while others point toward Brussels as his birthplace.
What year did Jean Clouet start working for King Francis I and what was his initial salary?
Jean Clouet appeared in the royal accounts of King Francis I starting in 1516. He began as a painter and wardrobe valet earning 180 livres tournois annually.
Who were the children of Jean Clouet and what happened to them after his death?
The couple raised two children named François and Catherine. François succeeded his father as the court painter and Catherine married Abel Foullon whose son Benjamin also became a portrait painter.
How many paintings are currently attributed to Jean Clouet and where can they be found?
Art historians attribute approximately 10 to 15 portrait paintings to his hand today. Two portraits of Francis I reside in the Louvre alongside smaller works from his workshop.
Where is the collection of drawings by Jean Clouet preserved and how many portraits does it contain?
A collection of drawings preserved at Musée Condé in Chantilly contains over 130 portraits. These works are generally believed to be authored by Jean Clouet or his school.