Jean Baptiste Jouvenet

Jean Baptiste Jouvenet , 1644-1717, French painter, one of a family of painters. He worked in Paris in the studio of Charles Le Brun, whose manner he acquired and whose favor at court he shared. He is best known for his religious paintings; the most important are the series of four canvases for St. Martin des Champs, including the Miraculous Draught of Fishes (1706; Louvre). These later works are characterized by a baroque force, with naturalistic details.

Jouvenet, Jean (b Rouen, 1 May 1644; d Paris, 5 Apr. 1717). French painter, the outstanding member of a family of artists from Rouen. He moved to Paris in 1661 and became one of Le Brun's assistants. His early works, including decorations for the Salon de Mars at Versailles (1671–4), were usually imitative of his master's style, although he was also influenced by Eustache Le Sueur (St Bruno in Prayer, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm). He worked on numerous major decorative schemes throughout his career, but he is now best remembered as the leading French religious painter of his generation, creating many altarpieces (some of huge size) for churches in Paris and elsewhere. His later work was marked both by Baroque emotionalism and by a realistic treatment of details foreign to the principles encouraged by the Académie Royale. It is recorded, for example, that before painting his Miraculous Draught of Fishes (c.1706, Louvre, Paris) he studied fishing scenes on the spot at Dieppe. Throughout his career he also painted portraits. In 1713 his right hand was paralysed, but he learnt to paint with his left.

Jouvenet, Jean (1644–1717). French painter, the outstanding member of a family of artists from Rouen. He moved to Paris in 1661 and became one of Le Brun's assistants. His early works, including decorations for the Salon de Mars at Versailles (1671–4), were usually imitative of his master's style, although he was also influenced by Eustache Le Sueur (St Bruno in Prayer, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm). He worked on numerous major decorative schemes throughout his career, but he is now best remembered as the leading French religious painter of his generation, creating many altarpieces (some of huge size) for churches in Paris and elsewhere. His later work was marked both by Baroque emotionalism and by a realistic treatment of details foreign to the principles encouraged by the Académie Royale. It is recorded, for example, that before painting his Miraculous Draught of Fishes (c.1706, Louvre, Paris) he studied fishing scenes on the spot at Dieppe. Throughout his career he also painted portraits. In 1713 his right hand was paralysed, but he learnt to paint with his left.