16TH CENTURY

THE STYLE OF THIS BUST CLEARLY REFLECTS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FONTAINEBLEAU SCHOOL. THIS IS A COLLECTIVE NAME FOR TWO GROUPS OF ARTISTS WHICH WERE ACTIVE IN FONTAINEBLEAU. ONE OF THE GROUPS AROSE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARTISTS WHICH WERE BROUGHT TO FRANCE BY KING FRANOIS I. AMONGST THESE ITALIAN ARTISTS WHO SPREAD THE RENAISSANCE IDEAS WERE ALSO SOME FRENCH. ONE OF THEM WAS JEAN GOUJON (CA. 1510-CA. 1566). THE SCULPTURE CATALOGUE OF THE LOUVRE MUSEUM DESCRIBES AMONGST OTHERS FROM GOUJON'S WORKSHOP "DIANNE APPUYéE SUR UN CERF" (PROVENANCE CHATEAU D'ANET). THE PRESENT BUST SHOWS A STRONG RESEMBLANCE BOTH IN FACIAL TREATMENT AS WELL AS IN THE ELABORATE ORNAMENTATION WITH THIS "DIANNE D'ANET". ANOTHER CONVINCING COMPARISON CAN BE MADE WITH THE FOUR FEMALE FIGURES THAT ORIGINALLY SUPPORTED THE PULPIT FROM THE CHURCH STE. GENEVIèVE IN PARIS AND ARE NOW IN THE LOUVRE MUSEUM, POSSIBLY BY THE WORKSHOP OF GERMAIN PILON (1537-1590) DATING FROM THE LATE 16TH CENTURY. (DESCRIPTION RAISONNé DES SCULPTURES DE LA RENAISSANCE FRANAISE, PARIS 1978, PP. 150-152, CATALOGUE NUMBERS 235-238).

SEE ILLUSTRATION