the latter only the first part of a projected nine appeared.
He designed the tomb of Francis I at St-Denis (1547), and
also undertook additions to the palace of Fontainebleau
(1548–58) and work on Notre Dame. Most of his build-
ings are now destroyed.
Deschamps, Eustache (c. 1346–c. 1406) French poet
Born at Vertus and educated by Guillaume de MACHAUT,
Deschamps went on to study law at Orléans and served
Charles V and Charles VI in a variety of diplomatic and
administrative offices, including that of maître des eaux et
forêts in Champagne and Brie. He wrote poetry in his
spare time and after his retirement, producing over 1000
ballades and nearly 200 rondeaux on patriotic and moral
as well as traditional themes; one of his ballades is ad-
dressed to the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, “grant
translateur” (great translator). Deschamps’s other writings
include an important treatise on versification, Art de ditier
(1392); a satire on women, Miroir de mariage; and a num-
ber of dramatic works, notably the Farce de Maître Trubert
et d’Antroignart.
Desiderio da Settignano (c. 1430–1464) Italian sculptor
Few facts are known about this precocious and brilliant,
but shortlived, sculptor. Born in the stone-quarrying vil-
lage of Settignano, near Florence, he probably learned to
carve from his family and later collaborated closely with
Antonio ROSSELLINO. He was influenced by DONATELLO,
but cannot have been trained by him, for the master was
in Padua during the relevant decade. Desiderio was a suc-
cessful imitator of Donatello’s shallow-relief carvings
(SCHIACCIATO), which he used specially for Madonna re-
liefs. He was not interested in the darker, dramatic side of
Donatello, but excelled in sweeter subjects, such as por-
traits of women and children. His two main commissions,
both in Florence, were: the Marsuppini monument in Sta.
Croce (c. 1453), which was an elaboration on the theme
of Bernardo ROSSELLINO’s Bruni monument, and the altar
of the sacrament in San Lorenzo (finished 1461).
Des Périers, Bonaventure (c. 1510–c. 1544) French
writer and humanist
He was born at Arnay-le-Duc and after collaborating with
OLIVETANon his translation of the Bible and with Étienne
DOLETon the Commentarii linguae latinae, Des Périers be-
came valet de chambre and secretary to MARGUERITE DE
NAVARRE, whom he assisted with the transcription of her
Heptaméron. In 1537 he produced the controversial Cym-
balum mundi, a satirical attack on Christianity in the form
of four allegorical dialogues, which was banned soon after
publication. Des Périers is believed to have committed
suicide in 1544. His Nouvelles Récréations et joyeux devis,
a collection of short stories providing a lively and realistic
picture of 16th-century society, was published posthu-
mously in 1558.
Desportes, Philippe (1546–1606) French poet
Born at Chartres, Desportes entered the French court dur-
ing the reign of Charles IX and enjoyed the patronage of
the duke of Anjou, with whom he traveled to Poland.
After the latter’s accession to the French throne as Henry
III, Desportes superseded RONSARDas court poet and re-
ceived a number of lucrative benefices, including the ab-
bacy of Tiron. Desportes’ love poetry, stylistically
influenced by PETRARCH, ARIOSTO, and other Italian poets,
consists largely of sonnets and elegies commissioned by
his patrons for their mistresses: his Premières Oeuvres ap-
peared in 1573 and his Dernières Amours in 1583. In the
latter part of his life Desportes produced a series of trans-
lations of the Psalms, which brought adverse and perhaps
unmerited criticism from his enemy MALHERBE.Des Prés, Josquin (c. 1440–1521) French composer
First mentioned as a singer at Milan cathedral in 1459, he
was in the employ of Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza by- After the duke’s assassination (1476) Josquin joined
the service of his brother, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, with
whom he traveled to Rome in 1484. From 1486 Josquin
sang in the papal choir. Around 1501 he appears to have
been in France, possibly as unofficial court composer to
King LOUIS XII. His five-part De profundis clamavi may have
been written for Louis’s funeral in 1515. From 1503 to
1504 he was maestro to Duke Ercole d’Este. In 1505
Josquin was back in France, at Condé-sur-l’Escaut, where
he was provost at the cathedral, and where he died.
Josquin is generally regarded as the greatest composer
of the High Renaissance. In the last two decades of his life
his music was disseminated through printing, and his
fame is partly due to the work of the Venetian printer
PETRUCCI. Josquin was a prolific composer; about 20
Masses, 100 motets, and 75 secular works survive. He de-
veloped the techniques of Mass composition, notably the
canon, paraphrase, and parody styles. In the late Missa
Pange lingua the hymn melody underlies all the move-
ments of the work, but it is subtly paraphrased rather than
being employed as a cantus firmus. Josquin’s motets are
less conservative in style. For his many chansons he elab-
orated on melodies from popular music of the time. The
compositional techniques he employed are similar to
those found in his sacred works; through abandoning the
formes fixes in his secular music he opened the way for
greater stylistic variety.
Further reading: Gustave Reese, The New Grove High
Renaissance Masters: Josquin, Palestrina, Lassus, Byrd, Vic-
toria (London: Macmillan, 1984).
Deutsch, Niklaus Manuel (c. 1484–1530) Swiss artist,
poet, soldier, and statesman
Born in Berne, Deutsch popularized many of the concepts
of the Italian Renaissance in northern Europe and adopted
them himself in portraits, drawings, and paintings, mostlyDDeeuuttsscchh,, NNiikkllaauuss MMaannuueell 1 13399