Primaticcio, master of Fontainebleau. 1504-1570
25 September 2004 - 3 January 2005

In 1528 France’s king Francis I of the Valois dynasty ordered the re-construction of the medieval chateau of Fontainebleau. For the interior decorations a certain Francesco Primaticcio, the student of Guilano Romano, was summoned from Mantua to assist the Florentine artist Giovanni Battisto Rosso. When he arrived in France, Primaticcio was 28 years old. He became the chief master of the Fontainebleau School and remained in the service of the next four monarchs of the House of Valois.

Five centuries later, the Louvre has decided to honor this remarkable artist by organizing a large and detailed exhibition of his works. The show presents 175 drawings, 50 engravings, 20 paintings, 25 sculptures and 4 tapestries from the collections of the Musee du Louvre, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France and many other museums including the Uffizi (Florence), the National Museum (Stockholm), the State Hermitage (St Petersburg), the Albertina (Vienna), the British Museum (London) and the Art Museum (Toledo).

Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto. Preparatory Drawing for the Ceiling Painting in the Galleria d’Ulysee
Between 1541 and 1547
Larger view

The Holy Family with St Elizabeth
1541-1543
Larger view