PRIMATICCIO, Francesco

To rebuild and decorate a ruined medieval castle in the forest of Fontainebleau as his primary residence and the centre of court life, the French king Fran�ois I sought the services of leading Italian artists. With the arrival of Rosso Fiorentino in 1530 and Primaticcio in 1532, an international team of Italian, Flemish and French artists and craftsmen was assembled to execute a series of decorative ensembles. In this collaborative milieu a distinctive style, referred to as the School of Fontainebleau, was forged that set elegant Mannerist compositions within rich and dense compartmentalized schemes of high stucco relief and painted ornament, harnessing a classical vocabulary to a playful and erotic sensibility.

Primaticcio spent his entire mature career in France working for a succession of French kings on various projects for the Château de Fontainebleau. While very few of these interiors survive, the innovative designs that influenced a generation of artists are recorded to some degree in the large body of extant drawings and reproductive prints. One of the most spectacular spaces must have been the Appartements des Bains on the ground floor below the Galerie Fran�ois I, a series of richly decorated rooms devoted to bathing and relaxation, in which were displayed masterpieces from the royal collection, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Virgin of the Rocks’ and Andrea del Sarto’s ‘Charity’ (both Louvre, Paris).

From descriptions it is known that the fifth room contained a small pool and was decorated with scenes from the story of Jupiter and Callisto. The present drawing was the design for the right half of a lunette depicting Diana banishing Callisto after discovering her pregnancy. Primaticcio’s attention is focused on the figure of the river god anchoring the right corner of the lunette. Aged and muscular, he is embedded, almost imprisoned, in the rocky grotto that surrounds him.

This is a preparatory drawing for one of the figures of the Heroes and Virtues painted on the doors of the Cabinet du Roi in the Palace of Fontainebleau designed by Primaticcio in 1541-5. The hero accompanying Temperance may have been Scipio.

Rosso Fiorentino was responsible for the style of decoration which we connect with the school of Fontainebleau, but it was Primaticcio who created the manner of figure drawing which was to become the most recognizable characteristic of French painting for the rest of the sixteenth century. This he achieved during the decade after his visit to Rome and the death of Rosso, in which period he planned some of the most important decorations at Fontainebleau, many of which have unfortunately been destroyed.

The panels for the Cabinet du Roi decorated between 1541 and 1545 and known from drawings are still in the tradition of Giulio Romano, for example, the present drawing reminds one of the seated allegorical figures in the Sala di Constantino. But the decoration of the Chambre de la Duchesse d’�tampes, planned in the same year, is entirely original.

This drawing is a preliminary study by Primaticcio for one of the figures adorning the doors of armoires in the Cabinet du Roi of Fran�ois I at Fontainebleau.

At the death of his mother, Louise de Savoie, in 1531, Fran�ois I took over the apartments he had prepared for her at Fontainebleau which from being called the Cabinet de Madame became the Cabinet du Roi. The function of a Cabinet is not completely understood, although probably it can be compared to the Italian studiolo, a place in which to keep precious objects and art treasures as evidence of the refinement and cultivated taste of the King, as well as a setting in which to emphasise, through its iconographical program, both his moral virtues and heroic qualities.

The Cabinet du Roi was decorated between 1541 and 1545, but is now destroyed and very little is known about its appearance. According to records, the room contained four armoires each decorated with a pair of figures, a virtue and an illustrative hero, one on each door and facing each other, beneath which were small panels with historical scenes in grisaille. The designs of the figures were conceived and executed by Primaticcio, but the painted decoration was done by assistants.

The present drawing is Primaticcio’s finished study for the figure of Prudence. That for her companion hero, Ulysses, is in the Louvre, also in red monochrome. Of the other pairs, Primaticcio’s finished studies for Justice and her hero Zaleucus, both yellow-ochre monochromes, are in the Louvre. That for Temperance, also in yellow-ochre, is in the British Museum, while her companion, Scipio, is known only from Primaticcio’s drawing in pen and ink and wash. The red monochrome for Fortitude is now in the Art Institute of Chicago, but her companion, Caesar, is known only from Primaticcio’s pen and ink and wash drawing of Fran�ois I as Caesar, now in the Mus�e Cond�, Chantilly.

Chaalis Abbey was founded in 1136 by Louis VI of France. The monastery was sold and demolished during the French Revolution but most of the buildings had been ruinous for years previously thanks to mismanagement on the part of the commendatory abbots. Among the ruins, a chapel with important frescos by Primaticcio survives intact. The former abbey is now the location of the Mus�e Jacquemart-Andr�. Like the museum of the same name in Paris it houses a part of the former collection of artworks of N�lie Jacquemart-Andr�.

The Annunciation scene is on the reverse side of the fa�ade of the Our Lady chapel at the Chaalis Abbey in France. The fresco was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, commendatory abbot of Chaalis, and painted in 1541 by Primaticcio and his workshop; the darker, lower part was restored by Paul Balze (1815-1884) in 1875-76. The whole fresco underwent a new restoration in 2006.

Chaalis Abbey was founded in 1136 by Louis VI of France. The monastery was sold and demolished during the French Revolution but most of the buildings had been ruinous for years previously thanks to mismanagement on the part of the commendatory abbots. Among the ruins, a chapel with important frescos by Primaticcio survives intact. The former abbey is now the location of the Mus�e Jacquemart-Andr�. Like the museum of the same name in Paris it houses a part of the former collection of artworks of N�lie Jacquemart-Andr�.

The Annunciation scene is on the reverse side of the fa�ade of the Our Lady chapel at the Chaalis Abbey in France. The fresco was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este, commendatory abbot of Chaalis, and painted in 1541 by Primaticcio and his workshop; the darker, lower part was restored by Paul Balze (1815-1884) in 1875-76. The whole fresco underwent a new restoration in 2006.

In the Camera degli Stucchi (Room of the Stuccoes) of the Palazzo del T� in Mantua, very elegant, white stucco reliefs dominate the space, they are modelled in a technique that imitates ancient Roman decoration, which was widely used in the circle of Raphael and his workshop but was virtually unknown in Mantua before Giulio Romano arrived. The stucco reliefs were executed by Primaticcio, and, according to Vasari, Giovanni Battista Scultori (1503-1575).

Olympic gods animate the geometric fields of the barrel vault, and two large figures of Mars and Hercules in the lunettes of the vault dominate the intimate space of the room.

Olympic gods animate the geometric fields of the barrel vault.

This is a preparatory drawing for the Salle de Bal in Fontainebleau. Here Primaticcio has been visibly inspired by the example of Raphael’s decorations in the Villa Farnesina, the classic models for decoration within the difficult space of a spandrel.

The Italian artist Primaticcio went to France early in his career to work for the French king, Francis I. Although most of Primaticcio’s energies went into decorating the great palace of Fontainebleau, the present drawing was probably executed for Anet, the château built for Henry II’s mistress, Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566). The main figure in the drawing may be Diana: although she lacks her attribute of the crescent crown on her head, she points at the crescent moon at upper left. Diane de Poitiers, was frequently alluded to through the portrayals of Diana, goddess of the hunt, and her attributes. Alternatively, the subject of the drawing was tentatively identified as Venus with Eros and Anteros.

Three other drawings by Primaticcio relating to his work at Anet survive. Like this drawing, they illustrate scenes from the story of the mythological goddess Diana, and it has been suggested that they were for a series of stained-glass windows. The emphasis on outline and the bold, simple design corroborate this idea.

The drawing depicts the Dance of the Hours and three putti with cornucopiae.

The chamber of Francis I’s favourite, Anne de Pisselieu, Duchess d’Etampes, was directly next to that of the king. Moreover, it was lavishly decorated between 1541 and 1548 by Primaticcio, who painted the stucco work with impressive mannerist figures and frescoes depicting the amorous adventures of Alexander. The d�cor was finished by Niccolò dell’Abbate. Converted into the Escalier du Roi (King’s Staircase) in 1748-1749 by Louis XV, part of the d�cor still remains. The painted ceiling was completed under Louis-Philippe I.

The photo shows the Royal Staircase (former Apartments of the Duchesse d’�tampes).

The chamber of Francis I’s favourite, Anne de Pisselieu, Duchess d’Etampes, was directly next to that of the king. Moreover, it was lavishly decorated between 1541 and 1548 by Primaticcio, who painted the stucco work with impressive mannerist figures and frescoes depicting the amorous adventures of Alexander. The d�cor was finished by Niccolò dell’Abbate. Converted into the Escalier du Roi (King’s Staircase) in 1748-1749 by Louis XV, part of the d�cor still remains. The painted ceiling was completed under Louis-Philippe I.

The photo shows the Royal Staircase (previously the bedroom of Madame d’�tampes).

The chamber of Francis I’s favourite, Anne de Pisselieu, Duchess d’Etampes, was directly next to that of the king. Moreover, it was lavishly decorated between 1541 and 1548 by Primaticcio, who painted the stucco work with impressive mannerist figures and frescoes depicting the amorous adventures of Alexander. The d�cor was finished by Niccolò dell’Abbate. Converted into the Escalier du Roi (King’s Staircase) in 1748-1749 by Louis XV, part of the d�cor still remains. The painted ceiling was completed under Louis-Philippe I.

The oval painting flanked by stucco figures depicts the scene Alexander Taming Bucephalus by Primaticcio.

The Fontainebleau School had developed under the aegis of Fran�ois I and the leadership of Rosso Fiorentino, but it may be argued that it peaked under the direction of Primaticcio, whose own style asserted itself as a combination of classical and contemporary Italian influences epitomised in the work of Italian-based artists such Parmigianino and Perino del Vaga.

Primaticcio’s Mannerist approach gradually became more pronounced and his nudes progressively elongated. His decorations for the bedchamber of the Duchesse d’Estampes were painted between 1541 and 1544; although the original room has since been restored and transformed into a stairwell, the paintings exemplify his preference for nude figures with arms crooked behind the head so that their bodies appear inordinately long.

Influenced by Parmigianino, Primaticcio carried to an extreme the quest for grace and elegance. Lithe, slender adolescent female figures frame medallions decorated with mythological scenes. Together with the Rosso figures, these elongated and voluptuous bodies surrounded by garlands in a fantastically elegant Olympus are the masterpieces of the Fontainebleau school.

The oval painting flanked by stucco figures depicts the scene Alexander and Campaspe by Primaticcio. Campaspe was a supposed mistress of Alexander the Great. According to tradition, she was painted by Apelles, who had the reputation in Antiquity for being the greatest of painters.

The oval painting flanked by stucco figures depicts the scene Alexander and Campaspe by Primaticcio. Campaspe was a supposed mistress of Alexander the Great. According to tradition, she was painted by Apelles, who had the reputation in Antiquity for being the greatest of painters.

In 1544, Primaticcio, a pupil of Giulio Romano, completed the stuccos in the chamber of of the Duchesse d’�tampes at Fontainebleau. Influenced by Parmigianino, Primaticcio carried to an extreme the quest for grace and elegance. Lithe, slender adolescent female figures frame medallions decorated with mythological scenes. Together with the Rosso figures, these elongated and voluptuous bodies surrounded by garlands in a fantastically elegant Olympus are the masterpieces of the Fontainebleau school. Primaticcio visited Rome again and brought back many casts from antique works; these were set out in the gardens of Fontainebleau, whence spread the taste for Greek art through France.

The painting between the stucco figures represents the marriage of Alexander the Great and Roxana.

The Aile de la Belle Chemin�e (Wing of the Beautiful Fireplace) is an addition to Fontainebleau, built in 1568. It is a cold, academic work, influenced by the buildings of Vignola which he must have seen on his visit to Bologna in 1563. The general lay-out with the double flight of steps is impressive, but the detail is dry and strangely in contrast with the picturesque rustication of his earlier experiments in architecture.

Primaticcio became active in the field of architecture at last part of his career. He seems to have approached architecture through decorative sculpture, and the first works which can be plausibly be attributed to him are on the borderline between the two arts. One of these is the grotto of the Jardin des Pins at Fontainebleau. It shows him influenced by the rusticated work of Giulio Romano. The conception of the grotto , with its giants emerging from a rocky background suggests that Primaticcio knew sketches for Giulio’s frescoes of the Fall of the Giants in the Palazzo del T� in Mantua, although the actual frescoes were executed just after he left Mantua.

A procession of Roman soldiers marches in the room’s double frieze.

After the death of Francis I, Primaticcio worked for Henry II, for whom he designed the Galerie Henri II, a ballroom, with scenes of the gods feasting and musical motifs. His powerful position permitted him to concentrate on design and delegate the execution to numerous assistants, including Niccolò dell’Abbate, who brought ideas from Modena and Bologna.

In April 1528 Francis I commissioned Gilles Le Breton for a programme of building (completed 1540) at Fontainebleau. The Cour de l’Ovale was to be rebuilt using the old foundations and retaining the old keep, while a gallery, now the Galerie Fran�ois I, was to be constructed linking this with the Trinitarian abbey to the west, which was soon demolished and replaced by the Cour du Cheval Blanc. The north range of the Cour du Cheval Blanc survives almost unaltered and is of plastered rubble with brick dressings. The medieval gatehouse (now called the Porte Dor�e) in the south-west corner was rebuilt in Renaissance style, based on the entrance to the ducal palace at Urbino. Adjoining the Porte Dor�e to the east is the vast Salle de Bal, designed by Sebastiano Serlio, and next to it in turn is the Chapelle St-Saturnin, on the site of the original medieval chapel.

In 1530 Rosso Fiorentino was entrusted with the decorations of the interior, later joined (1532) by Francesco Primaticcio. Together they developed the style of the first Fontainebleau school, in effect the first extensive and consistent display of Mannerism in northern Europe.

The photo shows the Salle de Bal (also called Galerie Henri II) designed by Sebastiano Serlio (1541). The frescoes, designed by Primaticcio were painted by Niccolò dell’Abbate in 1550.

Primaticcio’s work shows clear evidence of his training under Giulio Romano. Indeed, his first decorative scheme at Fontainebleau, for the Chambre du Roi, was based on a drawing by Giulio. This decoration is lost, and we can judge of Primaticcio’s early style at Fontainebleau from the chimney-piece in the Chambre de la Reine. The general design is classical in its emphasis on circular and square panels, but the proportions of the figures are elongated like those in the stuccoes in the Camera degli Stucchi in the Palazzo del T�, Mantua. The whole effect, moreover, is richer than anything to be seen in Mantua, mainly because of the higher relief.

Formerly the painting was attributed to Parmigianino, then Pontormo, later to Tibaldi.

This is a preparatory drawing for the Chambre de la Duchesse d’�tampes in Fontainebleau. The painting have suffered severely, but the drawing shows the influence of Parmigianino.

The Galerie d’Ulysse at Fontainebleau was destroyed in the eighteenth century, its decoration by Primaticcio and collaborators is known only from drawings. The Nile was on the vault of the gallery where ninety mythological compositions were framed by secondary subjects like the figure of the Nile.

Painter, decorator and architect, Primaticcio was a member of the group of artist who worked on the decoration of Palazzo del Te in Mantua under the direcrion of Giulio Romano. In 1532 he went to Fontainebleau where he worked together with Rosso Fiorentino whom he succedeed as head of the the Fontenebleau decoration after the death of Rosso. There are only a few surviving finished works by him, mostly with mythological subjects.

Invited by the French king Francis I (r. 1515–47) along with another Italian artist, Rosso Fiorentino, Primaticcio oversaw the decoration of the royal château of Fontainebleau, created decorative cycles in the Mannerist style, and became the leading proponent of the so-called School of Fontainebleau. The present scene, depicting two nymphs carrying a third to a satyr (partly visible at the left margin) relates to Primaticcio’s stucco decoration of the Appartement des Bains at Fontainebleau, rooms intended for bathing, relaxation, and the display of famous works from the royal collection.

The outlines of the composition have been traced with a stylus to transfer the design to an engraver’s plate. The black chalk shading probably was added by a later hand.

This painting is an oil version - probably by Primaticcio himself of a panel decorating the Galerie d’Ulysse in Fontainebleau. The complex decorative scheme of the gallery of immense length took many years to complete. The walls were decorated with a series of paintings illustrating the story of Ulysses.

A striking feature of this composition is the group of small figures in conversation in the background., their lean silhouettes forming with the foreground group a contrast which in its dramatic quality recalls Rosso.