The Rape of Helene

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.