Jean the Clerk

Jean the Clerk is born with Nancy in the month from August 1586 and dies the October 20th 1633, with Nancy.

Jean the Clerk puts his sword at the service of the République of Venice, is ambassador of the dukes of Lorraine and a painter Lorraine Baroque.

Its family

Jean the Clerk (1586 - 1633) is the son junior by Claude Leclerc and Claudon Mengin of Pulligny. He is born with Nancy in the month from August 1586. His/her father who is Protestant will have to leave the Lorraine in 1608. Before this date it is already persecuted, even if he is the secretary of the princess of Tarente, because of its religious convictions.

He is the downward one of Jean the Clerk of Puligney, middle-class man of Nancy in 1429, anobli on January 3rd, 1464. Square of Busseroles devotes a dozen pages to him and its family in the Calendar of the Nobility of Touraine , of 1868.

Jean the Clerk is the ancestor of the general Charles Hyacinthe Leclerc de Landremont. His/her brother, Alexandre the Clerk with whom it finds himself at the same time in Venice and the Court of Nancy is the ancestor of the deputy to Convention Claude-Nicolas Leclerc and of Frederic the Clerk, doctor, and writer.

Biography

Venice

Jean arrives to Italy with his brother in 1601. According to its writings, it will live twenty years with Venice and will fight in the Venetian possessions of the Eastern basin of the Mediterranean.

During this time, the Duke of Lorraine, Henri II of Lorraine drives out its grounds their father, takes his goods and it loses its nobility, but they had prudence to remain catholic. In Venice, ground of religious liberty, they are welcome. In 1606, Leonardo Dona banishes Republic are in favor of the pope. This conflict raises the interest of all Europe. April 17th, a new interdict and a new excommunication strikes the city. Henri IV of France acts as mediator, Venice firmly maintains his position, the pope must yield.

Jean does not come to make a training in a painter, it puts initially his sword at the service of the République of Venice to fight the Othomans. He and his/her brother being very appreciated the Venetian ones, they becomes the ambassadors of the Ducs of Lorraine.

the History of Lorraine says to us that largest of the Lorraine painters of this time, the Nancy Jean Leclerc (1588-1633), was divided between its birthplace and Italy. It is with Venice that it passed any sound existence" almost;

See also: Republic of Venice

An almost Venetian painter

During the wars of the Republic of Venice to defend Europe or at least during the truces, his/her brother becomes an excellent musician and Carlo Saraceni meets to him (1580-1620). But he does not become his pupil. Jean the Clerk is already 24 years old when it remains of 1610 to 1616 in the live Rome of the Venetian painter, via di Ripetta, it is thus rather a companion of workshop. Admittedly, it adopts its manner, but it is especially Caravage which has an influence on the two artists.

The Clerk will be classified among the painters Baroque (S), and regarded as Lorraine by the French, and Flemish critics for the Anglo-Saxons. However, the Italians call it Giovanni di Expensive or Giovanni the Clerk . According to Adriana Augusti: has Venice, Carlo Saraceni and Jean the Clerk are painters caravagesques . The children of noble are very few to embrace the career of painter or engraver. Jean the Clerk is not certainly temporarily more noble in 1608, but he is still Venetian officer and ambassador of the duchy of Lorraine and carries the sword to the side. As his/her brother it will be made knight of Saint-Marc by the Venetian senate and the Doge.

In 1617-18, it paints with Saraceni, the Miracle of Saint-Bernon , for the Roman German parish of Santa Maria LED' Animated. It will carry out thereafter an engraving of this work.

Jean the Clerk also tested himself with great success with engraving

The first known fabric of Giovanni the Clerk

In 1619, the first known fabric of Giovanni the Clerk is a Mort of the Virgin whom it carries out in Rome. In this table, the death of the Virgin, it paints two women whom we will find in the death of the Virgin of Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), painted in Paris in 1623.

the rest in Egypt is a work of this period, just like the night Concert (3), where the artist takes again the tradition of the painters caravagesques by the plays of lights, with the strongly enlightened faces. the night Concert inspires in 1630 with Georges of the Tower the payment of the rights .

Jean the Clerk painted in Italy disavowal of saint Pierre who is a scene of drinking bout which announces its Scène of cabaret , where the shade is opposed to the light, as in its Concert, preserved at Rome. the shipwreck , Contarini villa, to Piazzola sul Brenta is allotted to Carlo Saraceni and its pupil. But the memories of the voyages and combat in the Middle East of the Clerk make that the characters are prisoners in Eastern costumes.

Saraceni and the Clerk is the Masters of the Venetian painter Gasparo Della Vecchia (1602-1678), father of Pietro della Vecchia. Alas Carlo Saraceni dies! At the end of November 1619, they had started to paint a vast composition: the Doge Enrico Dandolo (1123-1205) and captains of the Crusade lending oath , on the topic of the crusade, in the Room of the Large Council of the Palate of the Doges. In 1621, Jean the Clerk signs this work and also finishes a Annonciation , painted by his friend, with Feltre, church San Giustina. With the end of the year 1621 him and his/her Alexandre brother leave the République of Venice.

The painter of S.A.R. the duke of Lorraine

Lorraine took part in the artistic revolution of the beginning of the XVIIe century and the role of the Clerk, Venetian the , is not the least. Of return to Nancy, with the beginning of the year 1622, it touches a revenue as ambassador as of on April 22nd, 1622 and becomes the official painter of the dukes of Lorraine and Bar, Henri II of Lorraine (1608-1624), François II of Lorraine (1625), then Charles IV of Lorraine (1625-1675). It is anobli or confirmed more exactly in its nobility by Henri II, but the grounds of its family are not returned to him.

If this return in Lorraine marks a turning, its work is not more known. The chronology of Lorraine works remains very dubious and rests on a series of assumptions. the martyr of the St. Lawrence which comes from the Chartreuse de Bosserville, table allotted to Paul Véronèse, is in fact a work of Jean the Clerk paying homage to this painter.

In 1625, its guard is François II of Vaudémont (1572-1632) becomes duke, but during five days only. He is only the second wire of Charles III and the second girl of Henri II, king de France. Scrambled with his/her brother, Henri II of Lorraine, it asserts the duchy. The General states of Lorraine estimate its request legitimates and François de Vaudémont becomes duke on November 21st, 1625. He benefitted from it to refund his debts with ducal finances. Five days later, he abdicates in favor of his son, who becomes the duke Charles IV of Lorraine. He devotes himself then to the management of his counties of Vaudémont and Salins. François II does not give again his grounds to him, but orders several tables to him. Jean the Clerk carries out the decoration of the vault of his castle of Viviers, disappeared with XIXe S.

In 1629 of the portraits carried out by Jean the Clerk are sent of Lorraine in Italy and are paid by the general Receipt of finances of the Duke François .

A new painting

Of course this Venetian painter introduces in Lorraine a new painting, marked by research luminists of the painters established in Rome and influenced by the art of Michelangelo Merisi, said Caravage (1571-1610). The artist takes again in Nancy the technique of theobscure one. But, it is released from the most vehement caravagism, by introducing a sensuality intimist.

The Clerk maintains the bonds with Georges of the Tower (1593-1652) and the artists Lorraine. Affinities do not miss between its works and those of the Tower. It is undoubtedly thanks to works of the Clerk that the Tower takes note of caravagesque painting. He is also a rival. In 1620, Georges of the Tower decides to settle in Lunéville, cradle of the family of his wife, because it knows that the Nancy market, dominated by Jacques Bellange, until his death in 1616, but invested soon by Claude Deruet and Jean the clerk returned from Italy respectively in 1619 and before 1622, is mainly closed to him. Georges of the Tower is not the painter of the dukes and it is not either anobli. The gallant Supper of the Clerk, blood and brown washing goes back to 1628, as the night Concert make think of works of the school of Utrecht. This curious drawing could represent an episode of the history of the Prodigal son, this last dissipating its good near a courtesan. The morals of the parabola seems however more one pretext for the artist that a source of inspiration. The topic also evokes the banquets caravagesques. the sheet of Rennes presents affinities with a print of the Clerk, the night Concert .

Religious subjects

At Jean the Clerk, the same plastic feeling agrees with the expression of the two large companies of faith and adventure which are the remote mission and the crusade. In fact, spirit of crusade, missionary spirit, spirit of pilgrimage often converge.

Because of his great-uncle, Gilles of Trier, senior of collegial Saint-Maxe, and his Jean talent the Clerk becomes the painter of the Lorraine Jesuits. The tables of the Master-hotel of the church of the Jesuits are certainly of him. February 11th, 1632 the vice-chancellor of the College of the Jesuits, Jean Bonnet, orders to him a table of nine feet height and seven feet length representing the prediction of saint François Xavier. We are, at the end of its life, and Jean the Clerk reminds his voyages and his combat. Even if it is about the action missionary in the Eastern Indies, they are theEastern ones which he paints, as in Têtes of enturbannés men .

Jean the Clerk is also very close to the scientists of his time. Its Reniement of saint Pierre is the masterly application of complexes problems of prospect in an architecture lit by several sources of light. He adopts brown preparations, practices new, but very frequent in Italy.

In 1633, in its last fabric, the Worship of the Shepherds , for the Saint Nicolas's Day church of Nancy, the influence of the caravagesque school and Saraceni is obvious. Rémond Constant finishes certainly this work, because seeing itself dying Jean the Clerk yields to him in October 1633, two contracts signed with the Carmelite nuns of Chaumont (Haute-Marne), which ordered sixteen paintings of the Apocalypse to him.

Christ and holy Pierre , of the church Saint Nicolas to Nancy and the Feast of Hérode , to Chaumont (Haute-Marne), church Saint-Jean-Baptist are allotted to Jean the Clerk.

A Master

In 1628, Jean the Clerk also takes as apprentice François Vernier, godson of the duke Francois, for one two years duration and with the help of 400 francs. In addition to Constant Rémond, he is the Master of several painters. Jean Tassel (1608-1667) is born in a family from painters, but it is with its Master Jean Leclerc that it is initiated more specifically with the new caravagesque luminism. In 1643, after the death of his Master, Jean the Clerk, Jean Nocret (1612-1672) leaves Nancy to complete his formation with Rome. Jean the Clerk is the friend of Thierry Bellangé, another Lorraine painter.

Its marriages, its fortune and its death

Jean the Clerk married after his return in Lorraine, in 1622, with Antoinette of the Pillars, girl of Thierry II and Anne de Giraucourt. The Pillars are an old family of senior officers in the armies of the empire which carry: Of mouths, with 3 money pillars, out of stake 2 and 1.3 .

Widower, it remarie in 1628 with Marguerite Navel, whose Geoffroy father is caretaker of the hostel of Salm in 1614.

He dies five years later, the October 20th 1633, with old Nancy of only 46 years, and a year after his guard, François II of Vaudémont.

Which is the state of its fortune? If its marriage contract mentions the books of the painter, but we do not know his fortune. We do not have an inventory of its goods. The fact that he is former ambassador and painter of the king, makes that he touches pensions and does not depend on the orders of customers the noble ones, of middle-class man and monasteries. It leaves several minors.

After its death

The son of Jean the Clerk and Antoinette of the Pillars, Jean II the Clerk, is still a child with died of his father. He will be in 1665 captain with the regiment of the general of Mercy and will take part inter alia in the Bataille of Vienna, in 1683. To deliver Vienna (Austria) Turkish threat, it will belong to this avant-garde of 3.000 riders, with the orders of the general of Mercy, which will cross Wienerwald and will face hundreds of thousands of Othomans.

In 1876, Meaume will write about Jean the Clerk: the artist whose we will recall the too short existence is incontestably the best painter of history than produced Lorraine. But its work is mainly lost. Pertue the collection of François II of Lorraine, its guard, lost orders of the Jesuits and other religious houses, lost portraits of the Dukes of Lorraine….

Paintings of Jean the Clerk will become of this fact very rare, and will be sold up to 1.000.000 of $, for its Adoration of the Shepherds . Venice still preserves its masterpiece, the Doge Enrico Dandolo and the captains of the Crusade lending oath .

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