Virgin and Child EnthronedJean Fouquet

Jean Fouquet’s painting (c.1455) shows the Virgin enthroned with the infant Jesus, attended by angels in luminous white and red. The brilliance of gold, lapis blue, and scarlet pigments reflects the splendor of French court art in the 15th c. Étienne Chevalier, treasurer to King Charles VII, commissioned the work for his hometown of Melun. Fouquet was said to model the Virgin on Agnès Sorel, the king’s mistress, intertwining sacred ideal and courtly beauty. Paired with a panel showing Chevalier in prayer, it formed the Melun Diptych, uniting personal devotion, political ambition, and the prestige of royal favor.