Francois Clouet Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Francois Clouet, born in Tours in 1515, was a French portrait painter and miniaturist. Following in the footsteps of his father Jean Clouet (1480-1541), he learned the art of portraiture.
Like his father, Clouet worked for the French court as Palafreniere of the Chamber, which guaranteed him a salary.
He painted numerous portraits of important figures of the kingdom, including a splendid portrait of King Francis I, now preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, a miniature of his successor, King Henry II, that of his wife Catherine de' Medici and their children . Read the full biography

Francois Clouet, born in Tours in 1515, was a French portrait painter and miniaturist. Following in the footsteps of his father Jean Clouet (1480-1541), he learned the art of portraiture.
Like his father, Clouet worked for the French court as Palafreniere of the Chamber, which guaranteed him a salary.
He painted numerous portraits of important figures of the kingdom, including a splendid portrait of King Francis I, now preserved in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, a miniature of his successor, King Henry II, that of his wife Catherine de' Medici and their children . But it is the portrait of Elizabeth of Austria that is considered Clouet's masterpiece. His works were exceptionally precise and rigorous in form, with a perfect balance between soft colors.
The painter died in Paris on 22 December 1572.