Artwork
Monsieur de Bellefourière
Monsieur de Bellefourière is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jean Perréal. It dates from 1521 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Perréal's restrained palette and precise modeling of the face convey individual likeness while adhering to conventions of dignified representation.
The portrait depicts a man identified as Monsieur de Bellefourière, presented in a three-quarter view against a neutral background. The subject's attire, dark garments with a white ruff, aligns with early sixteenth-century French noble fashion, emphasizing status and rank. Perréal's restrained palette and precise modeling of the face convey individual likeness while adhering to conventions of dignified representation.
The work's restrained composition and emphasis on the sitter's visage suggest a focus on personal identity and social standing rather than narrative or allegory.
Technique & Style
Monsieur de Bellefourière is an oil painting executed on a wood panel support, created in 1521 by the French artist Jean Perréal. The work measures 46.7 centimetres in height and 33.3 centimetres in width. Classified as a portrait, the piece depicts a male subject rendered in the oil medium characteristic of early sixteenth-century French painting.
The work has been associated with the collection of Michael Friedsam and was included in the Exposition des primitifs français, a loan exhibition of French Primitives and Objects of Art.
History & Provenance
The portrait known as Monsieur de Bellefourière was executed by Jean Perréal in 1521 as an oil painting on panel. It entered the collection of Michael Friedsam, who bequeathed the work to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. No record of its original commission survives.
The painting measures 46.7 cm by 33.3 cm and was exhibited in the Exposition des primitifs français (Loan Exhibition of French Primitives and Objects of Art), reflecting its inclusion in early twentieth-century presentations of French Renaissance works.
Overview
Jean Perréal, a French artist active in the early 16th century, completed the oil painting Monsieur de Bellefourière in 1521. This portrait depicts an unidentified man and is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work exemplifies the refined approach characteristic of the Mannerist movement, a style that emerged in the late Renaissance.
Context
Jean Perréal, active during the early 16th century, was a versatile French artist whose practice extended beyond painting. While recognized for his portraits of French royalty, Perréal also engaged in architecture, sculpture, and the illumination of manuscripts. This breadth of skill underscores his significant role in the artistic landscape of his era, with Monsieur de Bellefourière representing a facet of his extensive portraiture work.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Perréal (French pronunciation:; c. 1455 – c. 1530), sometimes called Peréal, Johannes Parisienus or Jean De Paris, was a successful portraitist for French royalty in the first half of the 16th century, as well as…
- Jean d'Albon de Saint-André (1472–1549)
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