Sculpture during the French Grand Siécle

Numerous sculptors worked on the decoration of the gardens of Versailles. Some are rather secondary artists, such as the Marsy brothers (Gaspard and Balthazard), Pierre ler Legros the Elder, Étienne Le Hongre, and the Italian Jean-Baptiste Tuby, although almost all show an attenuated baroqueism as they tried to adjust to the criteria of the ‘classical art’ advocated by the Academy (Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture), an institution subordinated to the King’s will.

**The giant Enceladus**, gilded lead, by Gaspard Marsy, 1675-1677 (*Bassin d’Encelade*, ‘Enceladus grove’, gardens of the *Château de Versailles*, France). The subject of this fountain was based on the myth of Enceladus, from Greek mythology. Enceladus was one of the Giants and the traditional opponent of Athena during the Gigantomachy, the war between the Giants (Titans) and the gods. The scene portrayed in Marsy’s sculpture captures a moment of the fall of the Titans, when they were buried under the rocks of Olympus mountain by the gods they wanted to dethrone: the giant Enceladus half-buried under a pile of rocks, is struggling to survive, and his suffering is captured by the powerful water jet that springs from his mouth like a cry.

**Nymph with Child Triton**, bronze, by Pierre ler Legros, 1685–1686 (*Bassin du Nord*, ‘Northern basin’, gardens of the *Château de Versailles*, France). This is one of the six (of a total of 14) *Marmousets* (fountains with groups of children) that ler Legros executed for the *Allée d’Eau* (‘water alley’) at the start of the Gardens.

**The Seine**, bronze, by Étienne Le Hongre, 1685-1690 (*Bassin du Nord*, ‘Northern basin’, gardens of the *Château de Versailles*, France).

**Apollo on his chariot**, gilded lead, by Jean-Baptiste (Giambattista) Tuby, 1668-1670, (*Bassin d’Apollon*, ‘Apollo’s fountain’, gardens of the *Château de Versailles*, France). Born in Rome in 1635, Giambattista Tuby first trained as a sculptor in Italy before coming to France sometime after 1660. **Apollo on his chariot** was executed after a drawing designed by painter Charles Le Brun. The sculpture represents the iconography of the chariot of Dawn driven by Apollo on his daily voyage through the sky to bring the light of the Sun to the Earth. This scene was previously illustrated on the ceiling of the Roman casinos of the Ludovisi and Rospigliosi palaces.

Nonetheless, the most prominent courtly sculptors also worked for Versailles. François Girardon and Antoine Coysevox were the most famous sculptors of the Grand Siècle. Apart from the numerous works Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720) created for Versailles (decorations for the Hall of Mirrors, the Ambassadors’ Staircase, the War Room), he is the author of the bust of Louis, Grand Condé (before 1688) and the portrait of the Duchess of Burgundy, Marie Adelaide of Savoy (1710), married to the grandson of Louis XIV and mother of Louis XV, whom he also depicted in a statue as an ancient Diana (1708-1710). The realism of these portrait-busts by Coysevox, in total more than 50, transport us to the life of 17^th century France.

**Medallion of Louis XIV**, stucco, by Antoine Coysevox, 1681-1682 (War Room, *Château de Versailles*, France). This stucco decoration was placed over the fireplace of the War Room of the palace. One of Coysevox’s most famous works, the King was portrayed as a Roman Emperor on horseback, trampling his enemies, like a contemporary Caesar. Louis appears looking ahead to the future, as a figure of Victory hovering over, offers him a crown of laurels. At the base of the medallion’s marble frame, are the seated figures of two captives chained by garlands of flowers and a head of Hercules between them and topped with the remains of the Nemean lion which symbolizes the invincible strength of the king -as a new Hercules-. At the top, on either side, two trophies of ancient weapons and two allegories of Victory and Immortality complete the iconographic program of the medallion.

***Le Grand Condé*** (Louis II de Bourbon, prince de Condé), bronze, by Antoine Coysevox, before 1688, 60 x 68 x 34 cm (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France).

**Marie-Adélaïde de Savoie, Duchess of Burgundy, dauphine**, marble, by Antoine Coysevox, 1710, 71 x 23 x 29 cm (*Château de Versailles*, France).

**Marie-Adélaïde de Savoie, Duchess of Burgundy then dauphine of France, as Diana**, marble, by Antoine Coysevox, 1708-1710, 2 x 0,8 x 0,8 m (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France).

Since the reign of Louis XIV lasted so long (72+ years to be more exact), artists had left us with a wealth of his portraits, from his early childhood years to his image as a tired old man. Louis’ old age is evident in one of Coysevox’s last works: the statue of Louis XIV imploring the Virgin (ca. 1708) where we can see a 77 year old Louis, today in the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.

**Louis XIV imploring the Virgin**, marble, by Antoine Coysevox, ca. 1708 (Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris). King Louis XIV, 77 years old, kneels on a cushion while imploring to the image of the Virgin at the Pieta (by Nicolas Cousteau), to his left. The whole ensemble is placed behind the main altar in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. This monument was born as a desire of Louis XIV to erect a monument to his father, King Louis XIII (whose sculpture, by Guillaume Coustou I, was placed kneeling at the other side of the Pieta) (see picture below).

Sculptural ensemble in the main altar of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris (France).

**Fame riding Pegasus**, Carrara marble, by Antoine Coysevox, 1698-1702, 3,15 x 2,91 x 1,28 m (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). Originally commissioned for the upper balustrade of the *Abreuvoir* basin in the Marly Park at Versailles, it was later moved in June 1719 to the west entrance of the *Tuileries* garden, where it is now replaced by a copy.

François Girardon (1628-1715) carved the tomb of Richelieu (1675-1694) for his resting place at the Sorbonne. In this work we can see the influence of Italian baroque art that he was able to see during his stay in Rome, but the solemn balance of this composition and its majestic air show the “classical” characteristics typical of a French sculptor of the Grand Siècle.

**Tomb of Richelieu**, marble, by François Girardon, 1675-1694 (Church of the Sorbonne, Paris). In the funerary monument to Cardinal Richelieu, Girardon designed the classical type for a free-standing altar-tomb. Like all Girardon’s works, this piece was carefully designed to suit its position and that of the viewer placed on different angles. The tomb is placed in the middle of the choir on the main axis of the church. Over his marble coffin, the recumbent image of the Cardinal turns his head looking towards the altar, he is supported by the figure of Piety who calmly looks at him (see detail below). At the Cardinal’s feet is a mourning figure, weeping and leaning against the edge of the sarcophagus.

Detail of the **Tomb of Richelieu**, marble, by François Girardon, 1675-1694 (Church of the Sorbonne, Paris).

From Girardon are also the relief of the Bath of the Nymphs (1668-1670) and the marble group of the Apollo served by the Nymphs (1666-1673), originally placed in the Grotto of Tethys, both at Versailles.

**The Bath of the Nymphs**, gilded lead, by François Girardon, 1668-1670 (*Bain des nymphes*, ‘Basin of the bath of the Nymphs’, gardens of the *Château de Versailles*, France). Sculpted from an original design by painter Charles Le Brun, the relief represents the Nymphs playing amid reeds.

Apollo served by the Nymphs was sculpted by Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin between 1666 and 1673. It was originally placed in the demolished Grotto of Thetys at Versailles. Girardon’s group is the most purely classical work in French 17th century sculpture. The direct inspiration taken from Hellenistic sculpture is clearly evident in the types, the modelling of Apollo’s body and the treatment of the draperies. In fact, Girardon paid a special visit to Rome during the execution of the marble group in order to refresh his memory with the observation of ancient sculpture. The figure of Apollo is a seated version of the Apollo Belvedere emulating the pose of the Ares Ludovisi, and the Nymphs are French interpretations, very characteristic for their sophisticated grace, of the Muses by the sculptor Philiscus of Rhodes that Girardon was able to see in Italy. The main problem faced by Girardon here was not the treatment of the individual figures, but the manner of linking them into a coherent group. The models from ancient classical sculpture didn’t provide a guide, thus Girardon used as source of inspiration the contemporary paintings by Nicolas Poussin.

**Apollo served by the Nymphs**, marble, by François Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin, 1666-1673 (*Château de Versailles*, France). Originally executed for the grotto of Thetys at Versailles (which was later demolished to build the vestibule of the Royal chapel and the north wing of the palace), it was later moved during the late 18th century to a ‘picturesque’ setting of rocks and ruins designed by Hubert Robert, where there are now copies of the originals which were placed inside in the Palace’s Museum. A contemporary engraving by Jean Le Pautre (see picture below) lets us see the original placement of the sculpture in an enclosed niche, which was flanked by two other similar niches containing the horses of Apollo carved by Guérin and the Marsy brothers.

*Grotto of Thetys in Versailles*, engraving by Jean Le Pautre, 1666-1675 (*Bibliothèque Nationale*, Paris).

*Moses saved from the waters*, oil on canvas, by Nicolas Poussin, 1647, 120 x 195 cm (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France).

The sculpted group’s subject was taken from a passage mentioned in Book II of Ovid’s Metamorphoses: it refers Apollo’s end of his diurnal journey, where he went to rest in the sea cave of the goddess Thétys. In a choreographically designed ensemble, Girardon placed the six Nymphs corresponding to each other in groups of two around Apollo, two of them naked from the waist up at the feet of the god. Apart from the relief of the Crossing of the Rhine on the ewer of one of the two kneeling nymphs (Clymène), there’s no reference to current events in the scene. Girardon sculpted the figure of Apollo, that of the nymph pouring water on his hands (Doris), as well as the two kneeling nymphs: the one holding the wet cloth (Mélicertes) is a testament of the mastery of the sculptor with the media, as Girardon seems to have handled marble as it was wax. Regnaudin sculpted the figure who washes the god’s back (the goddess Tethys), as well as the nymph holding the basin (Chloé) and the large ewer (Delphire).

Apollo served by the Nymphs is a group of sculptures that had no precedents among the artists of the time. No one had dared in France or Italy to associate various isolated statues, as the Hellenistic sculptors did two thousand years before. This group with Apollo washed and perfumed by the godly maidens produces such a strong literary impression that the spectator would believe him/herself is contemplating a scene represented by living actors in the theater.

Girardon restored the Laocoön group in Rome, and also the Venus of Arles, discovered in 1651 broken into four pieces. This wonderful statue, today in the Louvre, bears a pretentious inscription in Latin that assures that it has been made more beautiful by Girardon’s art: “Ecce Girardonis pulchrior arte Venus” (‘Behold! Venus is more beautiful for the art of Girardon’). Actually, the sculptors of the Grand Siècle were convinced they were doing something similar to the works of the classical Greeks, whose marbles they even dared to restore.

*Venus of Arles*, marble, Roman copy of an original of the Aphrodite of Thespiae by Praxiteles, 1st century BCE, 1.94 × 1.02 × 0.65 m (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). The arms, nose and neck were reconstructed by Girardon; while the bust and robe’s folds were reworked by him.

In France during the 17^th century and under official academic scrutiny, it originated an important tradition of the portrait-bust, conceived with pompous emphasis, but of profound elegance and much psychological depth. In addition to Coysevox, were also masters in the execution of portrait-busts the Flemish Martin van den Bogaert –who changed his last name to Desjardins– and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the oldest of a family of sculptors that also dedicated to portraiture. Some of the youngest sculptors of this group, such as brothers Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou, nephews of Coysevox, achieved their full renown during the 18th century.

**Pierre Mignard**, marble, by Martin van den Bogaert (also known as Martin Desjardins), ca. 1650-1689, 70 × 56 × 34 cm (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). Pierre Mignard was the King’s First Painter and director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture after the death of painter Charles Le Brun.

**Four Captives** (also known as **Four Defeated Nations: Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, Brandenburg and Holland**), bronze, by Martin Desjardins, 1682-1685 (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). These bronze statues adorned the base of a equestrian monument of Louis XIV in the *Place des Victoires*. During the French Revolution, statues of kings placed in the center of large squares were destroyed, but some of the remaining decorative elements survived, like these bronzes.

**Bust of Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle**, terracotta, by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, ca. 1749, 59 cm height (Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America). The sitter was an influential member of three of the academies of the *Institut de France*, and he was notable for his accessible treatment of scientific topics during the unfolding of the Age of Enlightenment.

**Vertumnus and Pomona**, stone, by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, 1760, 1,63 x 1,5 x 0,6 m (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France), an already Rococo sculpture in its conception.

**Descent from the Cross**, marble, by Nicolas Coustou, 1713-1715 (Notre-Dame cathedral, Paris).

**Horse restrained by groom** (also known as the **Marly Horses**), Carrara marble, by Guillaume Coustou, 1743-1745 (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). The two sculpted groups known as the **Marly Horses** (here pictured one of them) were commissioned by Louis XV of France for the grounds of his *château de Marly*. Both groups were moved to the *place de la Concorde* in Paris in 1794 and later replaced by cement copies in 1985.

In sculpture, the dominant trend was, therefore, a classicism with an entirely French seal, mostly in its aulic air.

But other artists appeared more baroque, without departing from Bernini’s Roman spirit. The statue Titan struck by Lightning (1712), by François Dumont, and the famous group by Pierre Puget Milo of Croton (1671-1682), eloquently show the baroque facet of the French sculpture of the time.

**Titan struck by lightning**, marble, by François Dumont, 1712, 65 x 70 x 58 cm (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France).

**Milo of Croton**, Carrara marble, by Pierre Puget, 1671-1682, 2,7 x 1,4 x 0,8 m (*Musée du Louvre*, Paris, France). The Greek athlete Milo was famous for his strength, but once he tried to tear a tree apart, his hand got stuck in it, and he was then devoured by wild animals.

Pierre Puget (1620 or 1622-1694) was from Marseille and his extraordinary technical ability and talent for composition have not yet been sufficiently appreciated, leading some authors to describe him as the “French Bernini”. At the beginning of his artistic career he was in the service of Superintendent Fouquet, in Vaux-le-Vicomte. When Fouquet fell from grace, he returned to his native Provence. Later he went to Italy, and there he gave himself over to the exacerbated baroqueism that is displayed in the sculptures of his maturity. Famous are his two Atlantes (1657) at the door of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) in Toulon, who act as supports of the central balcony, his Perseus and Andromeda (1679-1784), and the relief depicting the Meeting of Alexander and Diogenes (1671-1689).