Jean-Baptiste Regnault (9 October 1754 – 12 November 1829) was a French painter. He was born in Paris, and began life at sea in a merchant vessel. At the age of fifteen, he had talent that attracted attention, and he was sent to Italy by M. de Monval under the care of Bardin.

After his return to Paris, Regnault, in 1776, won the Grand Prix for his painting Alexandre and Diogène, and in 1783 he was elected Academician. His diploma picture, the Education of Achilles by Chiron, is now in the Louvre, as also the Christ taken down from the Cross, originally executed for the royal chapel at Fontainebleau, and two minor works – the Origin of Painting and Pygmalion praying Venus to give Life to his Statue.

Besides various small pictur...