the Clouets were the most conspicuous. They were of
Flemish origin, and followed Flemish methods both in technic and
mediums. There were four of them, of whom Jean (1485?-1541?) and
Francois (1500?-1572?) were the most noteworthy. They painted many
portraits, and Francois' work, bearing some resemblance to that of
Holbein, it has been doubtfully said that he was a pupil of that
painter. All of their work was remarkable for detail and closely
followed facts.

The Italian importation came about largely through the travels of
Francis I. in Italy. He invited to Fontainebleau Leonardo da Vinci,
Andrea del Sarto, Il Rosso, Primaticcio, and Niccolo dell' Abbate.
These painters rather superseded and greatly influenced the French
painters. The result was an Italianized school of French art which
ruled in France for many years. Primaticcio was probably the greatest
of the influencers, remaining as he did for thirty years in France.
The native painters, Jean Cousin (1500?-1589) and Toussaint du Breuil
(1561-1602) followed his style, and in the next century the painters
were even more servile imitators of Italy--imitating not the best
models either, but the Mannerists, the Eclectics, and the Roman
painters of the Decadence.

[Illustration: FIG. 57.--CLAUDE LORRAIN. FLIGHT INTO EGYPT. DRESDEN.]

SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PAINTING: This was a century of great development
and production in France, the time of the founding of the French
Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and the formation of many picture
collections. In the first part of the century the Flemish and native
tendencies existed, but they were overawed, outnumbered by the
Italian. Not even Rubens's painting for Marie de' Medici, in the
palace of the Luxembourg, could stem the tide of Italy. The French
painters flocked to Rome to study the art of their great predecessors
and were led astray by the flashy elegance of the late Italians. Among
the earliest of this century was Freminet (1567-1619). He was first
taught by his father and Jean Cousin, but afterward spent fifteen
years in Italy studying Parmigianino and Michael Angelo. His work had
something of the Mannerist style about it and was overwrought and
exaggerated. In shadows he seemed to have borrowed from Caravaggio.
Vouet (1590-1649) was a student in Italy of Veronese's painting and
afterward of Guido Reni and Caravaggio. He was a mediocre artist, but
had a great vogue in France and left many celebrated pupils.

By all