Chapter 1
The Italian spark in French soil
Chapter 2
Castles of the Loire Valley
Chapter 3
The School of Fontainebleau
Chapter 4
Literature, science, and the French mind
YOUR GOAL
Master of How France stole the Renaissance spotlight
Ch 3 · The School of Fontainebleau
andy The School of Fontainebleau
Molding plaster walls like folded leather to frame the gods above!
andy In the 1540s, Bernard Palissy cast real river creatures in plaster molds, pressing them onto clay platters with
andy Elongated Mannerist figures pose in the mysterious Gabrielle d'Estrées French Renaissance portrait.
Fun Fact
Palissy's desperate heat: Potter Bernard Palissy ran out of firewood during an experiment and burned his own floorboards, tables, and garden fences to keep his kiln hot.
Glossary
mannerism (noun)
An artistic style of the late Renaissance characterized by artificiality, elegance, and elongated human figures. Italian artists brought this elegant style to France in 1530 to decorate the royal château of Fontainebleau.
An artistic style of the late Renaissance characterized by artificiality, elegance, and elongated human figures. Italian artists brought this elegant style to France in 1530 to decorate the royal château of Fontainebleau.
Quiz
What does the unusual nipple-pinching gesture symbolize in the famous 1594 painting of Gabrielle d'Estrées?
Quiz
Who was the famous mistress of King Henri IV depicted in the mysterious bathtub painting of the School of Fontainebleau?
Quiz
What decorative technique, resembling curled leather or straps, did Rosso Fiorentino invent at Fontainebleau?
Quiz
Which French architect designed the Fountain of the Innocents and worked with Jean Goujon on the Louvre Palace?
Quiz
Which Italian painter pioneered the 'stucco and fresco' style in the Gallery of François I at Fontainebleau?
Quiz
Who was the French potter famous for decorating rustic ceramics with realistic casts of frogs and snakes?
Quiz
How many years did potter Bernard Palissy spend in poverty trying to discover his signature rustic glaze?