Château d'Écouen

The chapel, on the ground floor of the south wing, was stripped of its furnishings during the French Revolution. The original stained glass windows and wood paneling are now in the Château de Chantilly. The chapel retains the ceiling of arched rib vaults decorated with the painted coats-of-arms of Montmorency and his wife, Madeleine of Savoy. The chapel has a very early copy of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, painted in Milan between 1506 and 1509 by Marco d'Oggiono, a pupil of da Vinci. It hung in the chapel during the time of Montmorency.[17]

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  Ceiling of the Chapel, with the coats-of-arms of Montmorency and Madeleine of Savoy
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  Chapel altarpiece of gilded carved wood and panel of painted enamel biblical scenes by Léonard Limosin
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  Copy of Last Supper made by Marco Oggiono, pupil of DaVinci (1506-1509). It hung in the chapel in the time of Montmorency
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  Fireplace in the Hall of Arms of the Constable, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (about 1550)
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  Tribute to Caesar fireplace, Salles des cuirs des Heros romains, (about 1550)

Traces of the original decoration are found in the apartments of the King and Queen. The King's bedchamber still has some of the original painted monograms of Henry II, a crescent moon, on the ceiling. The painted fireplace in his bedchamber shows a biblical scene, beneath his coat of arms held by two cherubs. His bedchamber also has two tapestries from the series called David and Bathsheba.

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  Fireplace in the bedchamber of the King, with a Biblical scene and the coat of arms of Henry II of France
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  Polychrome ceramic floor tiles by Masséot Abaquesne in the royal apartments
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  Painted frieze in the bedroom of the King
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  Fireplace in the Great Hall of the King

Most of the original stained glass of the château was removed in the 18th and 19th centuries (some is now in the Château de Chantilly), but the museum displays some remarkable glass from other sites. Many of the windows have emblems of the king or constable or other personalities in colored glass, in the middle of windows which are largely clear or in muted colors. Other windows use a full range of rich colors.

Among the notable works in the collection is a portrait of King Francis I of France in prayer, by Nicolas Beaurain, made in about 1551-1556. It was commissioned by Henry II of France in 1549 to decorate Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes for the ceremonies of the Order of Saint-Michel, an order he founded. Most of the stained glass windows in the chapel were destroyed during the French Revolution, but this portion survived. It is notable especially for fine detail and shading of the colors, especially in the figure and costume of the king.

Another significant work in the collection is a stained-glass depiction of a scene from the life of Saint Paul, showing Saint Paul being chased from the Temple in Jerusalem. It is one of two scenes by Louis Pinaigrier and Nicolas Charnus (first third of the 17th century). It was formerly in Paris, in the Church of Saint-Paul, which was destroyed in 1797, not long after the French Revolution.[21]

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  Window with emblem of Montmorency in center
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  Coat of arms with angels, originally in the windows of the Saint-Chapelle chapel in Vincennes
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  Posthumous portrait of Francis I of France in prayer by Nicolas Beaurain (1551-1556)
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  Arrest of Saint Paul in Jerusalem, by Louis Pinaigrier and Nicolas Charnus, (last third of 17th century)

The collection of tapestries includes ten tapestries from the series David and Bathsheba, made in Brussels in 1520-1525 after designs by Jan Van Roome. Together, they measure seventy-five meters in length. They depict the Biblical story, but the costumes and settings are of the 16th century, and the tapestries give a detailed view of court life at the time. The identity of the original patron is not known, but Henry VIII of England purchased them in 1528.

Other notable tapestries include Fructus Belli (Fruits of War), from the workshop of Jehan Baudouin in Brussels, after a design by Giulio Romano. It was commissioned in 1544 by Ferrante Gonzaga, the Duke of Guastalla and chief of the armies of the Emperor Charles V of Austria, and depicts soldiers being paid. It shows the growing influence of Italian art on Flemish tapestries.

Italian tapestries are also represented, including "The life of a man" by Benedetto Squilli of Florence, after a painting by Jan Van der Straet. It was originally made for the Medici family for the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, as part of cycle conceived by Georgio Vasari.[22]

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  Bathsheba at the Fountain from the series David and Bathsheba (1520-1525)
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  Detail of the Fructus Belli (Fruits of War) tapestry, in the Great Hall of the King (1544)
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  Scene from The Life of a Man, workshop of Benedetto Squilli, Florence (about 1564)

The collection of paintings includes work by Toussaint Dubreuil (c. 1561—22 November 1602) a French Mannerist painter associated (from 1594) with the second School of Fontainebleau (together with the artists Martin Fréminet and Ambroise Dubois) and Italianism, a transitional art style. Many of Dubreuil's subjects include mythological scenes and scenes from works of fiction by such writers as the Italian Torquato Tasso, the ancient Greek novelist Heliodorus of Emesa and the French poet Pierre de Ronsard.

One of the most notable paintings is the Voyage of Ulysses by the Italian Guidoccio Cozzarelli of Siena, from about 1480. Painted on a wood panel, it was originally attached to a large chest, and was intended to be placed in the bedroom of newlyweds, to remind the bride about the virtue of faithfulness. The painting, based on the Odyssey of Homer, depicts Ulysses' wife, Penelope, faithfully waiting for her husband's return from his twenty years of voyaging.[23]

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  The Voyage of Ulysses, by Guidoccio Cozzarelli (about 1480)
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  'August' - miniature from a Book of Hours (about 1520)
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  'The Ascent of Calvary by Toussaint Dubreuil (end of 16th century)
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  The Crucifixion by Noël Bellemare and workshop (about 1519-26). It depicts the Bishop of Paris, François Poncher, in prayer.

The museum displays an important collection of carved wood furniture and panels, which illustrate the art of the French wood carving and decoration, as well as the influence of Italian artists working in France, particularly Rosso Fiorentino, responsible for much of the interior decoration of the Palace of Fontainebleau.[24]

The works in the collection show the transition of furniture from the medieval period to the Renaissance, through with the addition of an abundance of carved ornaments in classical forms, such as medallions, grotesques and architectural orders, making pieces of furniture such as chests, dressers, tables and chairs into works of sculpture. Engravings of Italian paintings and sculpture often served as models. The collection also includes numerous panels which were preserved from works that were dismantled. The collection presents especially works from the regions of Ile-de-France, Lorraine, Champagne and Burgundy, which were heavily forested and had the workshops of numerous skilled artisans making both religious and civil furniture.[25]

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  A dressoir from the Château of Joinville (1524), designed to hold formal table settings, with a combination of gothic and Renaissance ornament
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  Carved chest in the bedroom of the Queen, with architectural decoration
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  Dressoir in the apartment of the Grand Constable
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  Carved paneling
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  Carved chair, apartment of the Grand Constable
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  Carved screen from the choir of the chapel of the Château de Gaillon in Normandy

Detail of Ecouen floor by Masséot Abaquesne

The museum has a notable collection of 16th-century French ceramics, mostly designed as luxury dishware, in place of gold or silver. Ceramic tile was also used extensively on floors and walls of châteaux like Écouen. At Écouen, some of the original floors are still in place, including a section in the royal bed chamber and in the salon of the king. These pavements were commissioned from an artist of Rouen, Masséot Abaquesne, in about 1549-1551.[26]

A section of ceramic floor from the Château of Polisy, dated 1545 and demolished after the Revolution, is on display. It was commissioned by the bishop of Auxerre, François de Dinteville, for one of his residences. The design was inspired by the Italian artist, Sebastiano Serlio, and is based on the coat of arms of the family, with illustrations of the family motto, "Fortune and Virtue".

The collection also includes a number of works from the atelier of Bernard Palissy at the site of the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Palissy was famous for his long and unsuccessful effort to imitate Chinese porcelain. His primary success was his series of rustic plates, often depicting fish and sea life.

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  Section of original pavement at Écouen (1549-1551)
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  Faience mural of Noah and the Deluge, by Masseot Abaquesne
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  An aiguière with a satyr handle and reptile spout, by the workshop of Saint-Porchaire (1545-1558)
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  Rustic plate by Bernard Palissy (about 1565)

The craft of painted enamel is particularly well represented in the museum. The major center of this production was Limoges, where enamel had been produced since the 12th century. A new variation was introduced at the end of the 15th century, and it became particularly popular among royal and noble collectors. It involved copper plates, with a layer of flat enamel on one side and a polychrome painting made with layers of colored enamel on the other side. The most important artists in this style and period included Léonard Limosin, whose family produced seven enamel painters. He created series of enamels for Francis I and Henry II. His work included portraits of mythological and religious figures, as well as portraits of the major figures of the Court. He also created the enamels of religious scenes on the altar table in the chapel.[27]

Another important French enamel painter from Limoges was Pierre Courteys, who made a series of portraits of mythological figures of unusually large size. The example of Mercury in the museum collection is signed and dated 1559. Its inspiration appears to be a similar series created for the Palace of Fontainebleau by Rosso Fiorentino. Another important artist with work in the collection is Suzanne de Court, also from a family of enamel painters in Limoges. She was one of the few women artists who were permitted by guild rules to sign their work with their full names.[28]

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  Psyche and Amour at the table, Enamel by Léonard Limosin (1543)
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  Enamel portrait of Antoinette de Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, by Léonard Limosin.
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  Painted enamel plaque by Pierre Courteys (1559)
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  Jupiter, by Pierre Courteys (1559)

The museum displays works of some of the most celebrated goldsmiths and silversmiths of the Renaissance. One notable example is the statuette of Daphne by Wenzel Jamnitzer, a German craftsman from Nuremberg, goldsmith to the Holy Roman Emperors. It was made between 1569 and 1576. It portrays the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne, from the Metamorphoses of Ovid, which was a popular subject in the Renaissance. The nymph Daphne is transformed into a laurel tree by her father, to protect her from the pursuing Apollo. The statuette is made of gilded silver, with branches made of red coral with touches of silver paint.[29]

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  A nautilus figure mounted on a cup, made of gilded silver (Germany, beginning of 17th century)
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  Statuette of Daphné by Wenzel Jamnitzer (1569-76). Gilded silver and coral.
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  Cup of gilded silver and ivory, by Daniel Zech of Augsburg
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  Bottle with gilded chain and decoration, from Nuremberg or Northern Europe

The Museum has an exceptional collection of arms and armor, including the gilded ceremonial spurs of Francis I of France, decorated with his emblem, the salamander. These spurs, made in 1515-1525, were made in the first decade of his reign, and were displayed at his funeral in 1547. Another piece in the collection is a dosseret with a high collar, decorated with images of the Minevra and Mars, the deities of war. It was designed to protect the back of the neck, and could be worn either with a suit of armor or as a collar with formal court dress. The collection in the Hall of Arms includes a ceremonial rondache or buckler, a round ceremonial shield, of iron decorated with silver and gold, made in Italy for Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, showing the enemy soldiers he had conquered submitting to him.[30]

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  Ceremonial spurs of Francis I of France (1515-1525)
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  Armored gloves
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  Rondache or buckler of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Italy, 1555
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  A dosseret or back plate for protecting the back of the neck, with figures of Mars and Minerva (end of 16th century)

The museum houses one of the most important European collections of Renaissance scientific instruments, including examples of the astrolabe. clocks, globes, the solar cadran and automatons. One of the most famous items is the mechanical model ship, called the Nef of Charles V, made in about 1590 and attributed to Hans Schlottheim, which originally was in the cabinet of curiosities of the Elector of Saxe in Dresden. It contains a clock which activates seven different mechanisms, sounds the quarter hour, and sets the mechanical figures in motion: Tiny trumpeters and drummers play, the electors of the Holy Roman Empire promenade in a circle around the Emperor on his throne on the stern of the ship, and the tiny cannons fire. The display includes a video that shows all of mechanisms functioning.[31]

Other objects in the collection include an astrolabic clock attributed to Jean Naze, a clock maker from Lyon. It indicates the time, the course of the sun, the phases of the moon and the positions of the stars. Other objects include a cone-shaped cup that functions as a sundial and an enigmatic mechanical device with rows of small turning wheels, placed inside what appeared to be a book. It bears the emblems and symbols of Henry II of France, and is thought to have been an early coding device. It was made about 1547-1559.[32]

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  Celestial sphere showing constellations (1502)
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  Mechanical model ship made for Charles V (about 1590)

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  Grand hall of the King
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  The Appartement du connétable, Anne de Montmorency
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  Room of Madeleine of Savoy, his wife