Jean Fouquet

[Jhanananda]

The interesting thing is Jean Fouquet is so early in the renaissance that it is my opinion that he invented it.  However, he did not stop there, he went on to do Escher 500 years before Escher, Fouquet's Madonna is an example.

Fouquet Madonna

Fouquet had a definite thing about blue and red.  While it is surely an interesting contrasting pair of colors that draws the eye, I believe it was far more than that for Fouquet.  The alternating red and blue Cherub in the above painting, I believe represents devils verses angels.

In the Left wing of the "Melun Diptych," which depicts Etienne Chevalier with his patron saint St. Stephen, I believe it represents the sacred verses the profane.  In other works it represents French verses English, and Catholic verses Protestant.

Since we are discussing Joan of Arc, Fouquet's Madonna is painted from the death mask of the king's mistress 20 years after Joan of Arc was burned at the stake.  The color of the skin tone for the Madonna is clearly death-like, and the painting was understood at the time to be a reminder that the king gave up Joan of Arc to the English, when he could have bought her freedom.

[Cybermonk]

Aloha to you Jeffrey,

Fascinating time in history! Yes, then. as today, self serving corruption of those
who have, one way or the other, sold their integrity to keep power and wealth.
Personally, I believe it is why mystics are demonized. If society focused on
developing the mystic way of life fully, the hells of this dimension would vanish.

However... I try to keep an open mind, so it may be this dimensions function
is to create the hells to drive beings to become mystics and evolve.. So it goes.

i find it interesting the eyes in the paintings you've presented, have
captured the loss of soul, fascinating.
Later,
Kimo

[Jhanananda]

Aloha to you Jeffrey,

Fascinating time in history! Yes, then. as today, self serving corruption of those
who have, one way or the other, sold their integrity to keep power and wealth.
Personally, I believe it is why mystics are demonized. If society focused on
developing the mystic way of life fully, the hells of this dimension would vanish.

I would have to agree.

However... I try to keep an open mind, so it may be this dimensions function
is to create the hells to drive beings to become mystics and evolve.. So it goes.

Well, if this hell-plane were here to drive people to become mystics, then it is a hopeless mess, because only a few become mystics out of billions who do not.

i find it interesting the eyes in the paintings you've presented, have
captured the loss of soul, fascinating.
Later,
Kimo

There are many fascinating dimensions to Fouquet.  For instance, his mother was raped by a priest when she was quite young, which produced Fouquet.  When Fouquet was 18 he traveled to Rome with a French group on pilgrimage there.  While in Rome, Fouquet received an audience with the Pope, and painted his portrait there.  It is his first known work, and it is a master piece.  The pope liked the painting so much that he gave Fouquet a life-long pension. 

My guess is, Fouquet said, "Hey dad, how about me?"

Fouquet happened to have had an interest in the priesthood, but since he was illegitimate, even if his dad was the pope, he could not become a priest.  So, he took his pension and spent his life as an artist in France.

His painting Madonna is full of spheres.  I have not figured out why.

[nkrivosh]

thanks for the post and analysis , surprisingly I didnt know about Fouquet, as I studied at art schools for 12 years. 

[Jhanananda]

Fouquet was a complete unknown when I was going through art school as well.  I just happened to have seen one piece of his in one of my art history books, and I happened to notice the date; and I knew the French were not known for their renaissance art, so I was intrigued enough to give him a second look.  Every time I looked more at Fouquet I realized that art history, as it is taught, is purely a superficial treatment.  The dates prove that Fouquet invented renaissance art, and yet there is almost nothing written on him, and only a few pieces of his work exist.