PARISIAN SCHOOL
John II (King), king of France (1319-1364), apprx. 1359.
The second half of the 14th Century.
Wood, 6 x 45 cm. It is acquired on the Genyer collection sale in 1717; in Louvre R.F is passed on storage by National Library in 1925. 249 (S/AR)
Jean Malouel
In Louvre works of three painters of dukes Burgundian, replacing each other for forty years at a boundary of the 14-15th centuries are provided.
Jean de Bomets from Flanders received to a position of the court painter in 1375 in government of the duke Philip Smely was the first of them. It went to work to the carthusian monastery Shanmol near Dijon which became a realism cradle – a contribution of Burgundy to art of Northern Renaissance. The emotional strength shown already in Narbonnsk an altar was one more component in the rich art atmosphere of Burgundy; leaky line here the source has, of course, Siena painting.
Jean Malouel was the largest of these three painters. His family moved from Nijmegen to Paris where it also worked till 1397 when the duke Burgundian invited him to Dijon. Larger round Pieta of is, maybe, considerable performing European painting about 14. The board of round shape used here was, probably, invention of Malouel aiming to be exempted from rectangular rigidness of compositions in the Siena images. The form of the rondeau allowed it to figure Saint characters so that it became simultaneous both lamentation, and the solemn trinity meeting as if chorus, in uniform sounding. It seems as if these streaming lines freed from trouble and gravity merge with music of the highest spheres. Malouel’s influence clearly was shown in other pattern rondeau called Small round Pieta. Third artist, Henri Belchoz, replaced Malouel in 1415, and next year he completed Crucifixion of with Baptism of blood of Saturday. Dionysia (Altar of Saint-Denis). Scene of mystical partaking of the Saint and his martyrdom placed on the Crucifixion sides form with it an unit thanks to complete linear interpretation of forms. The characteristic French style appears as already quite developed here.
