Artifact World Gallery
Get the iOS app

Guillaume Budé (1467–1540) by Jean Clouet

Jean Clouet · 1536-01-01

This striking oil portrait, "Guillaume Budé" by Jean Clouet, painted in 1536, captures one of the most brilliant minds of the French Renaissance. Now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, it offers a window into the world of a scholar who shaped his era.

Look closely at Budé's hands: his right hand holds a quill, as if caught in the act of writing, while his left rests on an open book. The visible text on the page refers to his monumental work, 'De Asse', a critical text in the field of philology.

Budé was not just an author; he served as the royal librarian to King Francis I, a testament to his intellectual prowess and influence. Clouet's meticulous detail, from the texture of his robe to his contemplative gaze, brings this historical figure to life.

What can we learn from the quiet intensity of a scholar at work?

Details

He was the royal librarian to King Francis I.
He was the royal librarian to King Francis I.
His quill is poised, mid-sentence, ready to write.
His quill is poised, mid-sentence, ready to write.
His hand rests on an open book, revealing legible text.
His hand rests on an open book, revealing legible text.
This book, 'De Asse', was his most famous work.
This book, 'De Asse', was his most famous work.
His face reflects a life dedicated to deep thought and scholarship.
His face reflects a life dedicated to deep thought and scholarship.
Transcript

Meet Guillaume Budé, a towering scholar of 16th-century France. He was the royal librarian to King Francis I. His quill is poised, mid-sentence, ready to write. His hand rests on an open book, revealing legible text. This book, 'De Asse', was his most famous work. His face reflects a life dedicated to deep thought and scholarship.