Fouquet, Jean (1416?-1480),
the most important French painter of the 15th century. Born in Tours, he studied art there and probably also in Paris and in Italy. He was court painter to Charles VII and later to Louis XI. Fouquet (or Foucquet) is considered the founder of the French school of painting. His style was based on that of the Flemish painters Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck and on the style of Florentine painters and sculptors of the Renaissance, especially that of Fra Angelico.

Fouquet painted portraits and religious pictures; he also executed miniatures and embellishments for illuminated manuscripts. His portraits are characterized by clear and glowing color, vigorous drawing, vivid characterization, and a sense of humor. His miniatures are noted for precise detail and exquisite technique. Among the few paintings definitely ascribed to him are a portrait of Charles VII, king of France (Louvre, Paris); a portrait of a man (1456, Liechtenstein Gallery); and the wings of the Melun Diptych (1450?).

The wing in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, shows a Madonna and Child; the wing in the Staatliche Museen, Berlin-Dahlem, depicts Étienne Chevalier, a member of the French court, with Saint Stephen. The portrait Man with a Glass of Wine (Louvre) is also generally ascribed to him. Fouquet is especially noted for his illuminations for three Books of Hours.