School of late Gothic painting associated with the city of Avignon, Fr.
, during the Avignon papacy , when many Italian artists worked there. This "school" represents a body of late Gothic painting and not necessarily a single stylistic evolution. Under the direction of Simone Martini , the papal palace of Avignon and secular buildings in nearby towns were decorated with frescoes. The city was one of the channels by which Italian 14th-century art reached France. By the early 15th century Flemish influences had reached the city, consolidating the Italian and northern styles. The Avignon Pietà ( 0441; 1460), attributed to Enguerrand Charonton, is the masterpiece of the school. The artistic activity at Avignon greatly influenced French painting in the late 15th and 16th centuries. See also Gothic art .