Louis XI Presides the Chapter of Saint Michael by Jean Fouquet

This prestigious interior illumination brilliantly illustrates the official pageantry and solemnity of the fifteenth-century French court. Entitled “Louis XI Presides the Chapter of Saint Michael”, this remarkable painting is the work of the eminent Jean Fouquet, painter to kings, whose meticulous work offers an invaluable testimony to royal chivalry. Through this meeting of an elite order, the artist exalts monarchical authority through an impeccable and rigorous staging.

A sovereign is seated on his throne in the center, wearing a tall blue cap and dressed in a white cloak embroidered with golden lilies. He is surrounded by an assembly of knights of the order in sumptuous white cloaks with scarlet red and white ermine lapels. In the background, above the throne, a gold-framed painting depicts the archangel Saint Michael slaying the dragon on an azure fleur-de-lis background. In the foreground, two white greyhounds lie peacefully on the neat pavement of the room. The soft light uniformly illuminates the assembly, highlighting the details of the precious clothing and the concentrated expressions.

Jean Fouquet here demonstrates his exceptional genius for individualizing physiognomies through these portraits of great psychological subtlety. His masterful rendering of precious draperies and soft furs confirms his status as an undisputed master of Renaissance art.