French School

The development of art in France is a varied journey through time that begins in the 11th century. The monastic abbey of Cluny in beautiful Burgundy is considered the starting point for ecclesiastical art in France. The churches of the country are decorated with art artifacts, which are characterized by a clear, reduced and rather objective style. The images of the saints were used in windows, on carpets and in tapestries. The art of embroidery was perfected in France. The depiction of the Conquest of England is now protected by UNESCO and is a unique relic of cultural history. The Renaissance marked the beginning of a period of renewal that extended to all areas of art. Leonardo da Vinci became the king's first painter and architect and influenced the art scene to an unprecedented degree. French art underwent an incredible transformation. While art in France was only of regional interest until the early 17th century, French artists became the dominant force in the European art scene. At the same time, painting changed from classical academic execution to an art that was steadily influenced by modern components.

Throughout the centuries, the country's politics have been marked by tensions and periods of conflict. Monarchs and rulers came and went, leaving their personal mark on art. With Henry IV, the art scene resorted to Mannerism. An art form that was no longer the preserve of courtly society, it moved into urban culture. One of the three French artistic centres developed around the court of Fontainebleau. Like Nancy and the metropolis of Paris, it was here that the artists who defined the culture of France lived. Under Louis XIV, French art and culture reached a peak. Classical, with a flair for the perfect aesthetic, the Sun King revolutionized architecture and art and is considered one of the greatest patrons of the artistically creative. Napoleon loved the staging of his person and his exploits on the battlefield.

With the Rococo, a new playfulness and freedom entered the art world. Lust for life and sensual pleasures became important themes in painting. The playful courtship and gallant flattery of lovers was no longer taboo from this point on. All the varieties of pleasurable lovemaking are present in art. Jean Antoine Watteau was one of the leading artists who could realize this subject like hardly any other painter of the French school. With the Impressionists around Pierre Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh the Parisian art scene became one of the most important centres of painting in Europe. Painting brought nature back to the canvases and conjured light into the sceneries. Artists from all over Europe were drawn to Paris to feel the magic of art and experience the fulfilment of their dreams.