The Papillon is thought to have descended from the European Toy Spaniel. Although the breed's origins are subject to debate (Italy, Belgium, France and Spain are the leading contenders, the little toy spaniels were well-established as continental court favorites by the time of Renaissance. They appear in European art as early as the 1300's, and portraits by many of the Grand Masters (e.g. Rubens, Watteau, Fragonard, and Boucher) often include a Papillon or two. Madame Pompadour and Marie Antoinette of France, Queen Sophia Dorothea of Germany, and Queen Ann of Austria are among the aristocratic ladies who allegedly owned Papillons. France's King Henry IV is said to have carried his dogs to court in a basket. Papillons have not always been called Papillons. Over the years, they have been known as Epagneuls Nains, Dwarf or Continental Spaniels, Little Squirrel Dogs or Belgian Toy Spaniels. Throughout most of their history they have had drop ears, making their Spaniel ancestry more obvious.