Pierre Dumonstier I


Pierre Dumonstier I was a French artist, notable as one of the masters of drawn portraiture of his period.

Life

Pierre was the son of Geoffroy Dumonstier, master painter illuminator to Francis I of France and Henry II of France. Pierre's brothers Étienne and Cosme were also artists – Catherine de Medici sent Étienne to Vienna to serve Maximilian II, whilst Cosme became painter to Marguerite de Navarre. Étienne's son Pierre and Cosme's illegitimate son Daniel also became artists.
Pierre I accompanied Étienne to Vienna in 1569 and there produced several portraits of him. Pierre was forced to enter Catherine de Medici shortly after Étienne, but his name only figures for the first time in the records of her court in 1583. Unlike his brother, he was not taken on by Henry IV of France, since in his will he always refers to himself as "painter and 'valet de feue' to the Queen Mother". He was then living in Paris on rue du Temple and left no issue.
Louis Dimier gathered 65 drawings in Pierre I's hand, mainly portraits of Étienne and Armand de Gontaut-Biron, inscribed "By Pierre Dumonstier for Daniel Dumonstier".

Works

Hermitage