Jacques Foucquet (active 1685–1704) was a French artist primarily active in Sweden.

Biography

Before becoming active as a painter in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden, Jacques Foucquet was employed as an officer and engineer in the court of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

. He was educated at

Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture The Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture (; ) was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abolished in 1793 during the French Revolution. I ...

in Paris, and heavily influenced by

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (; baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French Painting, painter, Physiognomy, physiognomist, Aesthetics, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. He served as a court painter to Louis XIV, ...

. He arrived in Sweden in 1694 with a group of other French artists, on the invitation of

Nicodemus Tessin the Younger Count Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (23 May 1654 – 10 April 1728) was a Swedish Baroque architect, city planner, and administrator. The son of Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and the father of Carl Gustaf Tessin, Tessin the Younger was the midd ...

, who needed artists for the planned monumental historical and allegorical works in the newly built

Royal Palace in Stockholm Stockholm Palace, or the Royal Palace, ( or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Palace is in Stadsholme ...

. Foucquet's most famous works in the Stockholm palace are the three central ceiling panels (1700–02) of the vault in the State Apartment of the north wing, the Gallery of

Charles XI of Sweden Charles XI or Carl (; ) was List of Swedish monarchs, King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of History of Sweden, Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721). He was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden ...

. The paintings in this gallery and in the adjoining Cabinet of Peace and Cabinet of War depict a victorious king on the battlefield during the

Scanian War The Scanian War (; ; ; ) was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark–Norway, Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg and Swedish Empire, Sweden. It was fought from 1675 to 1679 mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish ...

and the peace that followed when the Danish princess Ulrike Eleonora, sister of

Christian V Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the de ...

, married Charles XI. The iconography represent the King dressed as a classical military commander of Rome and the works are steeped in classical mythology. The ceiling was created by Jacques Foucquet and sculptor René Chauveau.

References

External links

"Jacques Foucquet"
Oxford University Press 17th-century French painters French male painters 18th-century French painters 17th-century Swedish painters Swedish male painters 18th-century Swedish painters 18th-century Swedish male artists 1650s births 1704 deaths 18th-century French male artists {{France-painter-17thC-stub