Republican Women's fundraiser, Leonard Limousin court artist of Francis I, Latonia Derby

This post (click here to read full article) includes a very interesting article about the artist Leonard Limousin. One of his enamels of Francois De Cleves, Duc de Neves, hangs at the Taft Museum. In the article, she described how court artists were treated in the 1500's. They were ranked as craftsmen, a status lower than servants and if their work was worthy enough, they were promoted to the status of court valet. In describing the multifarious duties of the court artist, she quoted Poussin, "I shall never understand what is desired of me, for it is impossible to work at the same time at front pieces of books, a virgin, the picture for the congregation of St. Louis, at the designs for the gallery, and for the king's tapestry. I have only a feeble head and am not aided by anyone."