Interview françois 1er en anglais

Journalist : Hello Francis I, I meet you today to interview you on your artistic sensitivity and to know a little more about the patron and lover of the Arts that you are :

  - Firstly, How did you become interested in art?

Francis I : My passion for the Arts comes from my mother Louise de Savoie through our conversations. Then, I was able to discover Italian art during my military expeditions. The architecture of the buildings in this country is rich, their forms are elegant and I am fascinated by the works of many Italian painters, poets and sculptors.

  - Ok. So, which artists provoke an emotion in you?

They're a lot. I'm a lover of Italy as I told you before and the first artist I think of is Leonardo da Vinci : he impresses me with his wit and intelligence. Then, I was deeply touched that he accepted my proposal to come to settle in France and bring with him works such as ''Mona Lisa'' or ''Virgin of the Rocks''. However, I'll not tell you if he's the author of the plans for Chambord, it's a secret between him and me!

I don't forget Benvenuto Cellini, a wonderful goldsmith and sculptor, or the painters Rosso Fiorentino and Le Primatice. But I am also very sensitive to artists from the Netherlands such as the portraitist Jean Clouet or the glass painter Arnoult from Nijmegen. So I've ecclectic tastes.

However, I only expect one thing from a work : is that it provokes an emotion in me. And all those artists who are close to me stimulate my imagination with their paintings, sketches, inventions or writings.

  - Another subject that correlates with your interest in the arts... What do you think of Humanism?

It's a movement that's close to my heart. My sister, Marguerite de Navarre, is a fervent actress in this movement ; she's herself an author of tales and poems and is close to Rabelais. So how can one not want to look further than the beauty of literary works? To find there principles, rules of life valid for all men.

  - You seem to be passionate about this subject. Have you worked for the success of this movement?

I see myself as a protector of letters and poets. I was thus able to create the great

royal library in Fontainebleau, I was already so proud of the one in Blois ! My emissaries have searched and found ancient manuscripts in many parts of Europe and the Near East. And with a director like Guillaume Budé, such a great humanist, this library could only prosper... Thereby, thanks to my royal printer, we were able to make available and serve all these old texts. To found the College of Royal Readers and to be supported by Rabelais and Erasmus is a great pride! Offering free education to students is a second one!

  - One last question to end this interview, what's your biggest failure?

Undoubtedly, not having succeeded in convincing Michel Ange to come to France. But I was still able to buy him a magnificent artwork, a statue of Hercules...

I would like to thank you for taking part in the ''question-and-answer''

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