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From "curious" to canonical: Jehan roy de France and the origins of the French school.

From: The Art Bulletin  |  Date: 9/1/2005  |  Author: Perkinson, Stephen

In his 1928 discussion of the origins of the art of painting in France, Louis Gillet proclaimed, "It is very noteworthy that French painting begins with a portrait." (1) The image that Gillet referred to as the progenitor of French painting hangs today in the Musee du Louvre, Paris (Fig. 1). (2) It depicts a man's face and shoulders in profile set against a gold ground. (3) An inscription above the head informs the viewer that the figure represents "Jehan Roy de France"; this ...

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