Henri Gissey (1621 – 1673): The Painter of Light and Shadow Henri Gissey, a French Baroque artist born in Paris around 1621, remains an enigmatic figure despite his remarkable contribution to the artistic landscape of Louis XIV’s court. While biographical details are scarce—records indicate he died in 1673—his legacy endures primarily through his celebrated masterpiece, “The Ballet of the Night,” a monumental tableau that cemented his reputation as one of the foremost painters of his era. This painting, housed prominently within the Musée Thomas-Henry collections in Évreux, France, exemplifi…