Hieronymus Francken I

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Hieronymus Francken I (circa 1540–1610) was a Flemish painter from the Francken family. He was born in Herentals, the son of Nicolaes Francken, and trained in Antwerp. His brothers Frans Francken I and Ambrosius Francken I also became famous painters. He likely studied with Frans Floris, and a still life of a Venice Carnival from 1565 suggests he may have traveled to Italy.

From 1566 to 1572 he worked in France, helping decorate the Palace of Fontainebleau. In Paris a member of the Floris family sent his son to train with Hieronymus Francken I in 1568. He became a master in Paris in 1570 and a naturalized French citizen in 1572, though he still returned to Antwerp frequently. In 1571 he went back to Antwerp to finish the large Adoration of the Magi triptych that Frans Floris had left unfinished when he died; Frans Francken I helped with the work. In 1574 he is documented again in Antwerp.

From 1578 until his death he lived in Paris and Fontainebleau. He married Françoise Miraille in 1578, and they had seven children; four were alive in 1619. His daughter Isabella became a painter. He was appointed court painter to the French court in 1594 and served many rulers, including Catherine de’ Medici and Marie de’ Medici, as well as Henry III and Henry IV. In 1607 he was made a nobleman and could call himself noble homme, peintre du roy.

He taught Abraham Bloemaert during Bloemaert’s stay in Paris (1581–1583). Francken painted religious works, allegories, and elegant scenes of dancers and musicians at court; these works helped shape a 17th‑century genre, especially in his nephew Frans Francken II. He also painted portraits and included self‑portraits in some history paintings.

In 1602 he painted a group portrait of Paris’s senior merchants; its current location is unknown and it was probably destroyed in 1871. His style blended Mannerism with Antwerp, Italian (notably Venetian), and French influences, with Fontainebleau’s impact being strong. He was praised for his anatomical drawings and may have designed prints. A signed self‑portrait appears in a work titled Let the children come unto me, engraved by Peeter Baltens; apart from that, no other prints are known.