Late Gothic & Early Renaissance:
Jean Fouquet 1420-1480

Jean Fouquet was a French painter from the 15th century, also bearing the official title of “Royal painter,” after designing after designing the Royal King’s tomb in 1474. Fouquet’s paintings were greatly influenced by the techniques used in Italian Renaissance art. It was him who had brought these techniques into French paintings.

Out of the artists of this era, I find Jean Fouquet’s paintings to be quite intriguing. This is because of his choice in using very deep primary and secondary colors. This shows true in his works of art such as, “Madonna and Child. Left Panel of Diptych de Melun” and “Cases of Noble Men and Women.”  

I especially admire his painting, “Madonna and Child. Left Panel of Diptych de Melun”  because of the dramatic contrast between the subjects against the background. Also because of the natural flow and direction of the composition. I’m first drawn to her crown and detail of her face, along to her breast and then to the son. After naturally scanning through the subjects, my eyes are then drawn to the details of the faces in the background and to the throne. This spiral direction was carefully lead by the choice of colors and familiar shapes (jumping from face to face.)

Madonna and Child. Left Panel of Diptych de Melun

Cases of Noble Men and Women

Portrait of Charles VII, King of France

Sources

https://www.wikiart.org/en/jean-fouquet/madonna-and-child-left-panel-of-diptych-de-melun

https://www.wikiart.org/en/jean-fouquet/coronation-of-philippe-auguste-1460

https://www.wikiart.org/en/jean-fouquet/portrait-of-charles-vii-king-of-france

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Fouquet

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/307/jean-fouquet-french-born-about-1415-1420-died-before-1481/