François Clouet’s chief rival in royal favour was another Netherlander
domiciled in France, who, from the city in which he spent the years of
his greatest activity, has become known as Corneille de Lyon. He was
apparently the head of a busy workshop at Lyons, from which were turned
out large numbers of thinly painted, daintily touched-in three-quarter
profile heads, executed almost transparently on a light ground.
Although these portraits are now generally described under the generic
name of Corneille de Lyon, only the best among them can be accepted as
the master’s own handiwork. Room XI. at the Louvre contains several
insignificant and badly repainted portraits of this type. They are of
no importance, as they are only copies or studio productions. Corneille
became naturalised in 1547, in which year he was appointed Painter to
the King. He died about 1575.