King Francis I of France (c. 1525-30) After an unsuccessful campaign for the emperorship, King Francis I of France (r. 1515-47) became the principal political antagonist of Charles V, who had secured the coveted Imperial title. Although Francis I supported the German Protestants for political reasons, he determinedly fought Protestantism in his own realm. A generous patron of the arts, he acquired works that laid the foundation for what eventually became the collection of the Louvre. Oil painting on wood by Jean Clouet (1480-1541), c. 1525-30.