Artist

French early 16th Century

Portrait of French early 16th Century

1512–1515

French early 16th Century was a Renaissance artist. 33 works are cataloged here, principally at National Gallery of Art.

A French draftsman from the early 1500s filled sheets of laid paper with tiny, sharp-tongued instructions—ink sketches paired with warnings like “Do Not Eat Your Heart Out” or “Feed Not Things That Have Sharp Claws.” The playful yet precise drawings mix everyday cautions with a comic twist, all rendered in brown or black ink with a hint of watercolor. One sheet shows The Calumny of Apelles, borrowing a classical tale to poke at gossip. Turn the page to “You Are Tying a Dolphin by the Tail,” a whimsical reminder not to force your luck.

Works by French early 16th Century

33 works in the catalog · 24 shown

Collections represented

National Gallery of Art

Museum

National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of…

Catalog records compiled from museum open-access collections; the artworks shown are in the public domain. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.