Towards the close of the 15th century, the vigorous and beautiful Gothic architecture of France, with its rich traceried and mullioned windows, its niches and canopies, its crocketed spires and varied treatment of floral enrichment, lost its vitality; and was succeeded by the Renascence style, which at first was purely Italian, but afterwards, with the intermingling of Gothic traditions and craftsmanship, became a distinct phase of the Renascence.

French Renascence may be broadly divided into distinctive periods: 1st. The earlier or transitional, 1453-1515, when the influence of the Renascence began to be felt. 2nd. 1515-47, FranÇois Premier. This period is remarkable for the number of Italians engaged by Francis I. for the embellishment of the ChÂteau Fontainbleau, the principal being Rosso, painter; Serlio and Vignola, architects; Primaticcio and Penni, ornamentists, Benvenuto Cellini, with his beautiful goldsmiths’ art; and Girolamo della Robbia, who produced enamelled Terra Cotta. The work of these renowned craftsmen necessarily had a marked influence upon the traditional French art. Of the architecture of this period, there is the south-west angle of the Louvre, commenced in 1548 by Pierre Lescot (1510-78), and enriched with sculpture by Jean Goujon (1515-72), who also executed the sculptures that embellished the beautiful ChÂteau Ecouen, by Jean Bullant (1515-60), and the beautiful fountain of the Innocents at Paris, of which an illustration of one of the panels is here given. The tomb of Louis XII., at St. Denis, by Jean Juste (1518), is remarkable for the purity of its enrichments.

3rd. Henri Deux and Henri Quatre period, 1547-1610, when the building of the Tuileries was commenced in 1564 by Philibert de Lorme (1500-78), the building of the Louvre being continued by De Carreau and Duperac; the Luxembourg being subsequently built by De Brosse, 1610. This period was also represented by the exquisite Ceramics of Oiron or Henri Deux Ware, and the fine geometrical interlacings and arabesques of the bookbindings of Grolier.

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4th period, 1610-43, under Louis Treize, when considerable skill was shown in the carved and painted shell and scroll ornament, and in the bookbindings of Le Gascon.

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5th. Louis Quatorze period, 1643-1715, of which the palace of Versailles and the ChÂteau Maison, by FranÇois Mansard (1598-1666), are typical examples of architecture. The decorative compositions of le Pautre (see annexed illustrations), and the richly-decorated furniture, with marquetry in tortoise-shell and brass, by AndrÉ Boule (1642-1732); the magnificent Gobelins tapestry, so liberally encouraged by the Minister Colbert (1667); and the beautiful Rouen pottery; are characteristic of the industrial and decorative arts.

6th. Louis Quinze period, 1715-74, when the Rococo style was paramount, the vitality of the preceding periods being lost. The pastoral scenes by the painter Watteau (1684-1721), and the inlaid furniture of Jean FranÇois Ochen (1754-65), for Madame de Pompadour, are typical of this period.

7th. Louis Seize, 1774-89. The arts of this period are more refined and reserved in line, as evinced in the fine marquetry furniture of Riesener and David Roentgen with the ormolu mountings by GouthiÈre (1740-1810), for Marie Antoinette.

The last period, Empire Style, 1804-70, when purely classical forms and Greek enrichments prevailed throughout the whole of the decorative arts.