Fontainebleau, School of

Fontainebleau, School of. Term applied to art produced for the French court at Fontainebleau c.1530–c.1610, and more broadly used to refer to any French art of the period influenced by the distinctive style created there; in this broader sense it was the dominant strain in French art in the 16th century. The driving force behind the School of Fontainebleau was Francis I (1494–1547; reigned from 1515), whose favourite residence was at Fontainebleau, about 65 km (40 miles) south-east of Paris. In 1528 he began enlarging the building (at the time no more than a hunting lodge) into a palace, making it the most important expression of his desire to glorify the French crown by emulating the lavish patronage of the great humanist princes of Italy. As France lacked an indigenous tradition of mural painting adequate to his ambitions, he brought in first-rate Italian artists, most notably Rosso Fiorentino, who moved to France in 1531, and Primaticcio, who followed in 1532. The Italian masters succeeded in adapting their own styles to the courtly ideals of the French taste and were assisted by French and Flemish artists. From the association was born a distinctive Mannerist style—elegant, sophisticated, and often voluptuous, expressed most characteristically in mural painting combined with stucco ornament. Much of the stuccowork was in high relief, but Rosso also developed a distinctive motif known as strapwork, in which the stucco is formed into shapes resembling leather or parchment that has been rolled and cut into decorative patterns; this became a particularly popular form of ornament in England and the Low Countries (Fontainebleau motifs were widely spread through engravings). Primaticcio's distinctive figure style—characterized by long limbs, small heads, and sharp, elegant profiles—became virtually canonical in French art until the end of the 16th century.

Other Italian artists who worked at Fontainebleau included Niccolò dell' Abate and Cellini, but much of the work associated with the school is by unknown hands, although often of high quality, as with the celebrated painting Diana the Huntress (c.1550, Louvre, Paris). The mythological subject matter, elongated elegance, idyllic landscape setting, and air of sophisticated artificiality in this work are wholly typical of the School, the influence of which left few French artists of the time untouched. After the hiatus caused by the Wars of Religion (1562–98) the decorative painting of royal palaces was revived under the patronage of Henry IV (reigned 1589–1610). The name Second School of Fontainebleau is usually given to the artists who carried out this work for Henry, notably Ambroise Dubois, Toussaint Dubreuil, and Martin Fréminet. Their work was accomplished, but without the inventive brilliance of the best work of the First School.