Furthermore, the so-called _Tournois_ tapestry, which may be assigned to
the beginning of the sixteenth century, seems to reveal Jean Perréal's
style. It is important to notice that documentary evidence proves that
Perréal presided as Master of the Revels on the occasion of the State
Entry into Lyons of Philip le Beau and his wife, Jeanne la Loca; on
which occasion they were received with great pomp by Louis XII and Anne
de Bretagne. We learn that he executed decorations for these
festivities, and it is therefore not impossible that his designs may
have been subsequently used for the tapestries in question, since they
present to us _Louis XII_ and _Anne de Bretagne_ with their Royal
guests and numerous suite.
Thus historical record also would seem to favour the theory which we
have endeavoured to establish--namely, that Jean Perréal as stated
worked with pencil and chalk some time before the appearance upon the
scene of Jean Clouet. In spite of the regrettable fact that most of his
work has either been swept away by time or is still attributed to other
artists enough evidence remains, if one will only accept it, of an
activity which it is not easy to discount.
Perréal is also mentioned in Royal Accounts as an architect and sculptor
in the service of Anne de Bretagne, who entrusted to him the design for
a tomb for her parents, François, Duc de Bretagne, and his wife
Marguerite de Foix, at Nantes--a monument subsequently executed by
Michel Colombe. The graceful angels who keep watch over the dead and the
noble figures of Justice and Temperance are silent tokens of Perréal's
ability. He was also consulted by that noble patroness of the Arts,
Margaret of Austria, in connection with the tomb at Brou of her husband,
Philibert of Savoy, and for this monument also some of his designs were
used.
Amongst the French medals (1476-1515) in the Metropolitan Museum (New
York) there is a masterpiece which bears the portraits of _Louis XII_
and _Anne de Bretagne_. This fine work of art (of which there is another
example in the Wallace Collection) is known to have been designed by
Jean Perréal (draughtsman), modelled by Nicolas Leclerc and Jehan de
Saint-Priest (sculptors) and cast by Jehan Lepère (goldsmith). It is
considered to be one of the finest examples of this species of work
executed during the French Renaissance and was struck on the occasion of
the marriage of Louis XII with the widow of Charles VIII. It was
formerly supposed to be of Italian origin but is now authoritatively
assigned to Jean Perréal. Reproductions of these medals, but smaller in
size, are at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It would seem that the
artist's fame received a final recognition in the fact that immediately
after his death in 1528 Francis I sent for Italian painters to decorate
Fontainebleau _on account of the dearth of native talent_.
[Illustration: Plate LIII.
LOUIS XII.
ANNE OF BRITTANY.
Victoria and Albert Museum.
JEAN CLOUET.
_To face page 210._]
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