Another member of this family signs his work I. D. C. His principal figures are usually hammered out in relief, and his work is of a high finish.
Jean Court (circa 1555) was also known under his other surname of “Vigier.” He was formerly confounded with Jean Courtois, but his work is different from the latter’s. His drawing is better, and his colouring not so strong but more natural than that of Jean Courtois.
Suzaune Court, as she signed herself, was an enameller of the school of Jean Courtois.
Martial Raymond (circa 1590) was an artist of considerable power, and a goldsmith, who worked at the end of the sixteenth century. His work is usually heightened with gold, and he used “paillon” very much.
Jean Limousin (circa 1625), and François Limousin (1633), were enamellers who carried out the traditions of the Limoges school in a worthy manner during the early part of the seventeenth century.
The former passes for the son of Léonard Limousin, and was supposed, from the fleur-de-lis that always appears between his initials on his works, to have been the director of the royal manufactory at Limoges, as his predecessor Léonard was in the reign of Francis I. Jean Limousin executed some beautiful enamels, in which the translucent birds, arabesques, and small figures were treated with rare delicacy.
In the reign of Louis XIV. (1643-1715) Jaques Nouailher introduced a new kind of enamel, which consisted of modelling in relief on copper with a white enamel paste, and afterwards covering it with a transparent coloured enamel.
Pierre Nouailher was another enameller of this family who was noted for his correctness of drawing.
The school of Limoges of this date exhibits a greater correctness of drawing, accompanied with a marked diminution of good colouring; the enamels of the seventeenth century show a decline of that splendour of colouring which characterized the former century. This was owing to the abandonment of the silver and gold “paillon” backgrounds, and to the exclusive use of the brush alone in the enamels of this period.
The process of painting with a preparation of opaque enamel colours on a gold ground direct, without previously using the heretofore black ground for the purposes of getting the shadows, is ascribed to Toutin (1632). This was the first step to the decadence of enamelling, as the system of Toutin was restricted to the production of portraits in miniature, and in course of time nothing else was done but miniatures. Many artists in the period of this decadence executed good work, amongst which may be mentioned the names of Gribelin, a fellow-worker with Toutin, Dubié, Morlière of Orleans, and Vacquer of Blois. The latter were pupils of Toutin.