Toussaint Dubreuil (French pronunciation:[tusɛ̃dybʁœj]; 1561,Paris – 22 November 1602, Paris) was a French painter, associated with the secondSchool of Fontainebleau.[1]
His father, also named Toussaint, was asaddler, and he maintained a passion for horses throughout his life. He was also an amateurlutist.
He originally trained to be agoldsmith, then studied in Paris withMédéric Fréminet [fr]. He studied anatomy with a barber (a profession which then involved performing minor surgery) and provided some illustrations for theHistoria anatomica humani corporis, byAndré du Laurens.[2]
Whether or not he trained in Italy is unknown, but his work shows the influence of ItalianMannerists such asPellegrino Tibaldi,Bartolomeo Passarotti andNicolò dell'Abbate.
There is no record of him from 1585 to 1593. He may have received additional training atFontainebleau; most likely fromRuggiero de Ruggieri, whose daughter he married. Together withMartin Fréminet (his former teacher's son) andAmbroise Dubois, he later helped establish what became known as theSecond School of Fontainebleau. He created numerous decorative works for KingHenry IV, who appointed him "Ordinary Painter for the King's Tapestries".[3] Few of these decorations have survived.
He also executed large murals for theChâteau de Fontainebleau, depicting scenes from the story ofHercules. Some of these were done together with his father-in-law, Ruggieri. All but a few fragments have been destroyed.[4] In thePetite Galerie at thePalais du Louvre, together withJacob Bunel, he painted portraits of Henri IV's predecessors and decorated the ceilings with allegorical subjects. These were destroyed by a fire in 1661.[5]
Following his wife Marie's death in 1598, he remarried; to Dame Marie Champion. She died in 1602,[6] shortly before he died from intestinal damage, caused by riding a violently bucking horse.[7]
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