Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 89 works by Jean Jouvenet in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Jean Jouvenet's most famous painting is LA MORT DE SAINT FRANCOIS. Claude-François Poullart des Places (1679-1709) (1700) and Head of an old man. (1687) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 89 works by Jean Jouvenet in our catalog, the gallery presents the 88 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The scene captures the final moments of Saint Francis, lying upon a simple wooden bed within a crowded monastic cell. Surrounding the saint, a group of monks gather in various states of grief and prayer, their presence filling the interior space with a sense of solemnity. From above, an angel descends, extending a crown of leaves toward the dying man. This gesture signals a divine reward and the transition from…
This three-quarter length portrait presents a young man positioned with a slight turn toward the viewer. He gazes directly forward with a composed expression. The subject is rendered against a dark, indeterminate background that lacks specific architectural or landscape details. His pale complexion and the white of his collar provide the primary points of light within the composition. A dark garment covers his shoulders and upper torso, its folds defined…
The oil on canvas painting titled Head of an old man. is a portrait created by the French artist Jean Jouvenet. This work, which dates to 1687, depicts an elderly man. The subject is presented in a close-up bust-length view, focusing on the physical characteristics of the man's face and head.
The oil on canvas painting titled Venus in the Vulkan forge is a work by the artist Jean Jouvenet. This piece depicts a mythological scene involving the goddess Venus and the god Vulcan. The composition centers on the figure of Venus, who is accompanied by a small Cupid within a subterranean setting. The artist, Jean Jouvenet, was born in 1644 in Rouen, France, and lived until 1717.
In the grand, sweeping tapestry of the French Baroque, few works resonate with as much visceral intensity as Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet’s Descent from the Cross. Completed in 1697, this monumental canvas serves as a profound meditation on grief, faith, and the raw physicality of human suffering. The scene captures the harrowing moment when the body of Jesus Christ is lowered from the cross, a pivotal instant of transition between death and…
The gaze of the sitter meets us directly in PORTRAIT DE CHANOINE, a work by the French artist Jean Jouvenet. This portrait captures a man known as Chanoine, whose presence fills the frame with a quiet, steady dignity. He sits as a church official, a man of status and religious duty, presented to the viewer through a lens of solemnity. The subject's identity is tied closely to his vocation, which…
The scene known as Zéphyr et Flore unfolds through the brush of Jean Jouvenet, a painter who captures the very essence of a mythological encounter. This work emerges from the late 17th century, specifically dating to about 1688. It breathes with the energy of a moment caught in mid-motion, where the wind and the bloom meet in a lush, natural setting.
A golden chalice catches the light, suspended between the mortal and the celestial. Saint John reaches upward, his arms open to receive the vessel offered by a seated angel. The scene is a fragment of a larger movement, a vertical slice of a heavenly encounter. Clouds, thick and billowing, form a soft foundation for the figures, while the background dissolves into a hazy, indeterminate sky. The light descends from an…
The air in the room feels heavy with the weight of a profound teaching. Light spills across the scene, catching the folds of heavy drapery and the soft contours of skin, while the shadows retreat into the corners of the stone architecture. Jesus Christ sits at the center of this domestic sanctuary, his presence commanding the space through a quiet, steady authority. He is engaged in conversation, his gestures guiding…
In this 1685 oil painting, we encounter a celestial presence emerging from a swirling expanse of clouds. The figure of God the Father is rendered as an elderly man, his presence defined by flowing white hair and a beard that merges into the ethereal atmosphere. He is positioned in a three-quarter view, arms outstretched in a gesture that suggests both expansive movement and a reaching toward the heavens. The composition…
Portrait of Father Louis Bourdaloue1680 · Bavarian State Painting Collections
12
Winter1699 · Musée-promenade de Marly-le-Roi
13
Jesus Healing the Sick by the Shore of the Lake of Gennesaret1689
14
The Triumph of Justice1695 · Petit Palais
15
Louis XIV touchant les malades des écrouelles1690
16
The Sacrifice of Iphigenia1688 · Statens Museum For Kunst
17
Jean Jouvenet1700 · Opera House
18
The Last Supper1700
19
Self-Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet Reduction of the painting kept in the Musée de Rouen1701 · Carnavalet Museum
20
The Deposition1709 · Toledo Museum of Art
21
Cena1700 · National Museum in Warsaw
22
The Miraculous Draught1706
23
The Ascension of Christ1711
24
Jesus Driving the Merchants from the Temple1714
25
Adoration of the Magi1700 · Detroit Institute of Arts
26
Dr Raymond Finot1704 · The Louvre
27
LA RESURRECTION DE LAZAREThe Louvre
28
Portrait of an Unknown Man1700 · Hermitage Museum
29
The Education of the Virgin1700 · Galleria degli Uffizi
30
LA DESCENTE DE CROIXThe Louvre
31
L'EXTREME ONCTIONThe Louvre
32
The Martyrdom of Saint OvidMusée de Grenoble
33
The Presentation in the TempleBrest national naval museum
34
Christ healing the sickNational Museum in Warsaw
35
St thomas
36
Saint André
37
Saint Pierre
38
Saint Paul
39
Saint Jude
40
Saint Thomas
41
LA PENTECOTE
42
Saint Simon
43
Saint Jacques le majeur
44
Saint Philippe
45
APOLLON SUR SON CHAR SE PRESENTE A THETYSChâteau de Versailles
46
Saint Jacques le mineur
47
Saint Barthélémy
48
Latone et les paysans de Lycie
49
Portrait de l'artiste par lui mêmeNationalmuseum
50
Autoportrait
51
Apothéose de Saint Jean
52
Apothéose de Saint Luc
53
L'ANNONCIATION
54
Le Christ descendu de la Croix
55
Isaac bénissant Jacob
56
SAINT LOUIS SOIGNANT LES BLESSES APRES LA BATAILLE DE MANSOURAH.1250
57
Le départ de Phaéton
58
PORTRAIT D'UN MAGISTRAT
59
Saint Mathias (titre moderne) saint Mathieu (titre ancien)
60
JESUS AU JARDIN DES OLIVIERS
61
LA PRESENTATION AU TEMPLE
62
MARC ANTOINE FAISANT CONSUL ALBINUS
63
CYRUS HARANGUANT SES TROUPES
64
LE TRIOMPHE DE LA JUSTICE
65
LA DESCENTE DU SAINT ESPRIT SUR LES APOTRES
66
JESUS CHRIST CHEZ MARTHE ET MARIEThe Louvre
67
LA MESSE DU CHANOINE DE LA PORTE OU LE MAITRE AUTEL DE NOTRE DAMEThe Louvre
68
The Miraculous DraughtThe Louvre
69
Isaac blessing jacob
70
The Presentation in the Temple
71
The Descent from the Cross
72
The Death of St Francis
73
Apotheosis of st. nicholasPlantin-Moretus Museum
74
Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
75
Foundation of a Town in Germania by the Tectosages
76
The Mass of Canon Antoine de La Porte or The Altar of Notre Dame
77
LA VICTOIRE SOUTENUE PAR HERCULE ET ACCOMPAGNEE DE L'ABONDANCE, DE LA FELICITE ET DE LA PAIX
78
Head of a man looking to the left
79
Fondation d'une ville en Germanie par les Tectosages
80
Esther devant Assuérus Evanouissement d'Ester (ancien titre)
81
Madonna of the Magnificat
82
The Raising of LazarusLos Angeles County Museum of Art
83
The marriage of the virgin
84
Madame de Maintenon as Saint Cecilia and a Boy (possibly the Duc de Maine) as an Angel Blowing an Organ
85
LE MEDECIN RAYMOND FINOT DIT AUTREFOIS LE MEDECIN FAGONThe Louvre
86
LA PECHE MIRACULEUSEThe Louvre
87
JESUS CHEZ SIMON LE PHARISIENMuseum of Fine Arts of Lyon
88
The Raising of Lazarus1706 · The Louvre
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Jean Jouvenet | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Louvre |
Paris | 11 | Descent from the Cross, Dr Raymond Finot, LA RESURRECTION DE LAZARE |
 National Museum in Warsaw |
Warsaw | 4 | Head of an old man., Venus in the Vulkan forge, Cena |
 Bavarian State Painting Collections |
Munich | 2 | Claude-François Poullart des Places (1679-1709), Portrait of Father Louis Bourdaloue |
 Opera House |
Versailles | 2 | Zéphyr et Flore, Jean Jouvenet |
 Musee des Beaux-Arts |
Reims | 1 | God the Father |
 Musée-promenade de Marly-le-Roi |
Marly-le-Roi | 1 | Winter |
 Petit Palais |
Paris | 1 | The Triumph of Justice |
 Statens Museum For Kunst |
Copenhagen | 1 | The Sacrifice of Iphigenia |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The air in the room feels heavy with the weight of a profound teaching. Light spills across the scene, catching the folds of heavy drapery and the soft contours of skin, while the shadows retreat into the corners of the stone architecture. Jesus Christ sits at the center of this domestic sanctuary, his presence commanding the space through a quiet, steady authority. He is engaged in conversation, his gestures guiding…
The oil on canvas painting titled Head of an old man. is a portrait created by the French artist Jean Jouvenet. This work, which dates to 1687, depicts an elderly man. The subject is presented in a close-up bust-length view, focusing on the physical characteristics of the man's face and head.
In the grand, sweeping tapestry of the French Baroque, few works resonate with as much visceral intensity as Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet’s Descent from the Cross. Completed in 1697, this monumental canvas serves as a profound meditation on grief, faith, and the raw physicality of human suffering. The scene captures the harrowing moment when the body of Jesus Christ is lowered from the cross, a pivotal instant of transition between death and…
This three-quarter length portrait presents a young man positioned with a slight turn toward the viewer. He gazes directly forward with a composed expression. The subject is rendered against a dark, indeterminate background that lacks specific architectural or landscape details. His pale complexion and the white of his collar provide the primary points of light within the composition. A dark garment covers his shoulders and upper torso, its folds defined…
The Ascension of Christ is a large-scale oil on canvas painting by Jean Jouvenet. Executed in 1711, the work measures 190.0 x 104.0cm. The composition is organized into two distinct vertical tiers that separate the celestial and earthly realms. In the upper portion, Christ ascends toward a source of white and golden light, his arms extended outward. He is positioned among billowing clouds and two angels, his form illuminated by…
LA MORT DE SAINT FRANCOIS. Claude-François Poullart des Places (1679-1709) (1700) and Head of an old man. (1687) come next.
LA MORT DE SAINT FRANCOIS, Claude-François Poullart des Places (1679-1709), Head of an old man., Venus in the Vulkan forge, Descent from the Cross, PORTRAIT DE CHANOINE, Zéphyr et Flore, Saint Jean, Jesus Christ at the Home of Martha and Mary and God the Father. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 89 works by Jean Jouvenet, dated from 1675 to 1714.
Mostly in The Louvre (Paris), National Museum in Warsaw (Warsaw) and Bavarian State Painting Collections (Munich). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1700s: 13 of the 88 works on this page were made then, Claude-François Poullart des Places (1679-1709) among them.
On this page, the earliest is Jesus Christ at the Home of Martha and Mary (1675) and the latest Jesus Driving the Merchants from the Temple (1714).
Man (14), Saints (10) and Figures (7), across the 88 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 29 of the 88 works on this page.
Baroque, judging by the originals on this page.
Descent from the Cross, Dr Raymond Finot and LA RESURRECTION DE LAZARE: the The Louvre, Paris holds 11 of the works on this page.
In the grand, sweeping tapestry of the French Baroque, few threads shine with as much dramatic intensity and spiritual depth as those woven by Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet. Born in 1644 in the historic city of Rouen, Jouvenet was destined for a life steeped in the pigments and philosophies of his ancestors. He emerged from an illustrious artistic lineage; his father, Laurent Jouvenet, provided his initial guidance, while whispers of a connection to the legendary Nicolas Poussin through his grandfather, Noel Jouvenet, suggest a pedigree rooted in the very foundations of European classical tradition. This early immersion in the language of art allowed him to develop a sensitivity to light and form that would eventually captivate the most prestigious courts in France.
Jouvenet’s ascent within the Parisian art world was nothing short of meteoric. Upon arriving in the capital, his prodigious talent caught the eye of Charles Le Brun, the titan of French royal painting. Under Le Brun’s mentorship, Jouvenet found himself at the heart of the most significant artistic endeavor of the age: the decoration of the Salon de Mars at Versailles. This period of intense collaboration and exposure to royal grandeur served as a crucible for his developing style. By 1675, he had been admitted into the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, an achievement that signaled his transition from a promising pupil to a master in his own right. His influence within the Academy grew steadily, eventually leading him to the prestigious roles of professor and one of the four perpetual rectors, where he shaped the aesthetic sensibilities of the next generation of French painters.
What truly distinguishes Jouvenet from his contemporaries was his ability to marry the monumental scale of the Baroque with a profound, touching naturalism. While many artists of the era leaned heavily into the theatrical and the artificial, Jouvenet sought a deeper truth in his subjects. His religious compositions, though grand in scope, possess an intimate emotional resonance that draws the viewer into the sacred narrative. Whether depicting the tender domesticity found in Jesus Christ chez Marthe et Marie or the dynamic, swirling energy of La Peche Miraculeuse, he utilized a rich palette and masterful chiaroscuro to breathe life into the divine.
His technical prowess was particularly evident in his handling of movement and light. In works such as Saint Philippe, one can observe how he employs vibrant colors and a sense of rhythmic motion to convey the majesty of Christ. This ability to balance the epic with the human allowed him to undertake massive fresco projects in iconic locations like the Louvre and the Tuileries Palace, where his brushwork could command vast architectural spaces without losing its essential intimacy. His portraits, such as the evocative Dr Raymond Finot, further demonstrate this versatility, showcasing a keen eye for psychological depth and a realistic rendering of character that remains strikingly modern.
The historical importance of Jean-Baptiste Jouvenet lies in his role as a bridge between the rigid classicism of the early 17th century and the more emotive, fluid styles that would follow. He was a central figure in the Le Brun school, yet he infused that tradition with a unique vitality that prevented it from becoming stagnant. His career, which spanned the height of Louis XIV's reign, mirrored the era's shift toward a more sophisticated and emotionally complex visual language.
As we reflect on his body of work today, several key elements of his legacy remain unmistakable:
Though he passed away in Paris in 1717, the echoes of Jouvenet’s brush can still be felt in the halls of the great museums of Europe. He remains a master of the "divine moment," an artist who could capture the intersection of the earthly and the eternal with unparalleled grace.
