THE STYLE OF FRANCIS I. 



So. PARIS: HOTEL DE VILLE, BY DOMENICO BERNABEI OF CORTONA 

 ("BOCCADOR") ; (BEGUN 1532; BURNT DOWN 1871). 



From an Old Print. 



rule, but panelled ceilings became commoner, as also did parquet work 

 for floors, and stone, marble, or tile patterns for paving both in halls and 

 courts. The courts of the chateaux of Gaillon and Ecouen were paved 

 with various coloured stones. While the native encaustic tiles with 

 their strictly limited range of colour survived here and there, Italian 

 enamelled tiles, with their gayer tones, their subject paintings and 

 patterns on white grounds were much used. 



CHIMNEY-PIECES. Chimney-pieces retained their hoods, but these 

 were generally carried up vertically to the ceilings, and decorated with 

 niches, pilasters, panelling, and sculpture, and supported on piers, 

 corbels, or caryatids. In addition to the many fine chimney-pieces in 

 the palace at Blois (Figs. 8t and 82) and other chateaux of the Loire 

 valley, good examples are to be seen in the Cluny Museum in Paris, the 

 museum at Orleans, the Hotels d'Alluye at Blois, and de Lasbordes at 

 Toulouse. Glazed earthenware stoves were introduced from Germany 

 by Francis I. at Fontainebleau, but were not generally adopted. 



DECORATION. The woodwork of ceilings, walls, linings, like decora- 

 tion generally, was divided up into small panels in various patterns, and 

 often enriched with arabesques, &c. Examples of Francis I. panelling 

 are to be seen at Blois in the Queen's apartments, at St Vincent at 

 Rouen, in the Cluny Museum, and elsewhere. Doors were in small 

 panels variously arranged, or in boards and fillets, and were often 

 enriched with carving, sculpture, and architectural features. 



