This comprehensive scholarly art history monograph examines the transformation of painting in Paris between 1590 and 1620, a period of remarkable artistic activity under Henry IV and Marie de’ Medici. Challenging the traditional view of these decades as a minor transitional phase between the School of Fontainebleau and the French Grand Siècle, the study reveals a sophisticated and diverse artistic environment shaped by local traditions and international influences.
Drawing on extensive archival research and recent art historical discoveries, Vladimir Nestorov reconstructs the world of Parisian painters, their workshops, patrons, professional networks, and artistic commissions. The book explores the decoration of royal residences, including the Louvre and the Tuileries, as well as paintings created for churches, private homes, civic institutions, and temporary celebrations.
Particular attention is given to Toussaint Dubreuil, Martin Fréminet, Frans Pourbus the Younger, and Quentin Varin, alongside numerous lesser-known artists who contributed to the development of French painting. The study also examines the influence of Northern European and Italian artistic traditions, the persistence of late Renaissance Mannerism, and the emergence of new approaches that would shape seventeenth-century French art.
Richly illustrated with paintings, portraits, religious compositions, and decorative works, the volume provides insight into the artistic production of Paris during a period of political reconstruction and cultural change. Its extensive documentation includes a biographical dictionary of approximately 300 painters active in Paris, making it an important reference for researchers and collectors of French Old Master painting.
Published by Arthena in 2025, with a preface by Alain Mérot, this substantial hardcover monograph offers a detailed examination of an often-overlooked chapter in European art history, bridging the late Renaissance and the emergence of French Baroque painting.
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