In the second volume of his magisterial history of French art, Andre Chastel presents the pivotal age in which the Gothic style of the Middle Ages was gradually transformed into a particularly French variety of classicism. From 1420 to 1500 - in what he terms the Pre-Renaissance period - heraldry, tapestry, stained glass and panel painting reflected the tenor of social and political developments in Northern Europe, while the Italian campaigns of Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I provided first-hand experience of the revolutions in art occurring on the Italian peninsula. Deftly weaving political and cultural history, Chastel tells of French art and its context from 1430 to 1620 with all the authority and insight of a scholar imparting his life's work. With its unmatched trove of over 400 color illustrations, its erudition, wit, and appealing clarity, French The Renaissance will become an essential reference for scholars and a fascinating and accessible introduction for the general reader.