Portrait of François I, King of France (1494–1547)

In the Portrait of François I°, King of France, realized around 1530, Jean Clouet presents a modern portrait of the sovereign, ruling since 1515.

The features of the King of France are not too idealized: he is represented accurately, following other drawings by Jean Clouet, and stares at the viewer.

He is richly dressed in Italian clothes, according to the fashion of his time. The Italian influence is also visible in the plastic treatment of the portrait: the framing, the lighting, the modelling are all elements that reveal the impact of the Italian school on French art at the time.

This royal portrait is also modern because the sovereign is not represented with royal attributes.

He wears a feathered beret instead of his crown, and his sceptre disappears to be replaced by a sword. However, an embroidered crown, the ultimate symbol of royalty, appears on the hanging behind the sovereign.

The king's power and magnificence are accentuated by his imposing stature, his rich gold embroidered clothes, and his confident gaze.

The king's knightly virtues are also recalled by his hands on the pommel of his sword, as if he were ready to defend his kingdom, as well as the necklace of the Order of Saint Michael, an order of knighthood of which he is the Grand Master, which he wears around his neck.