François Girardon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
François Girardon
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Girardon with one of his works, a bust identified as of Proserpina, by Joseph Vivien
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| Born | 17 March 1628 Troyes, Champagne, France
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| Died | 1 September 1715 (aged 87) Paris, France
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| Known for | Sculpture |
| Movement | Baroque or Style Louis XIV |
François Girardon (born March 17, 1628 – died September 1, 1715) was a famous French sculptor. He worked during the time of King Louis XIV in France. He is best known for his statues of King Louis XIV and for the beautiful sculptures he made for the gardens of the Palace of Versailles.
Biography
François Girardon was born in a town called Troyes, France. His father worked with metal in a foundry. François first learned how to be a joiner and a woodcarver.
A powerful helper of King Louis XIV, named Pierre Séguier, noticed his talent. Séguier loved art and helped François. He arranged for Girardon to work with another sculptor, François Anguier. From 1648 to 1650, Girardon lived and studied in Rome, Italy. There, he saw many dramatic Baroque sculptures. He even met the famous sculptor Bernini. But Girardon didn't like that style. Instead, he preferred the older, more balanced style of ancient Roman art, called classicism.
In 1650, Girardon returned to France. He joined a group of artists led by Charles Le Brun, who was the King's official painter. This group also included the garden designer André Le Nôtre. They were asked to help decorate the new royal park at the Chateau of Versailles.
Girardon's most important work at Versailles was a group of statues called Apollo served by the Nymphs. He made this between 1666 and 1675. These statues showed the Sun King himself, Louis XIV, as the sun god Apollo. The figure of Apollo looked like the famous Apollo Belvedere statue from the Vatican. There were two parts to this work: Apollo surrounded by nymphs, and another group showing The Horses of the Sun being led to their stable.
He also created another fountain for Versailles, called the Basin of Saturn or Winter. This was made between 1672 and 1677 from gilded lead. It had a more dramatic style with many figures. His third big work at Versailles was The Kidnapping of Proserpine. This group of statues was placed a bit away from the main garden. It was meant to be seen from one special spot. It looked dramatic with its moving figures. But it also had the clear, balanced look of classical art.
Girardon became more and more important in the art world. In 1657, he joined the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which was a royal art school. He became a professor in 1674. In 1690, when Le Brun died, Girardon became the inspector general of sculpture. This meant he was in charge of all the King's sculpture projects. In 1695, he became the head of the Royal Academy.
In 1675, he got another important job: to make the tomb for Cardinal Richelieu. Richelieu was a very important church leader and advisor to the King. The tomb is in the Chapel of the Sorbonne in Paris. It was finished in 1694. The statue of the Cardinal sits on the tomb, looking towards the altar. Two sad women statues, representing Religion and Science, are with him. This tomb influenced how tombs were made after that. It was almost destroyed during the French Revolution. But a brave person named Alexandre Lenoir saved it. He even got hurt protecting it.
In 1699, Girardon finished another major work. This was a bronze statue of Louis XIV on a horse. It was placed in the middle of Place Louis le Grand, which is now Place Vendôme. This statue was melted down for metal during the French Revolution. So, we only know it from a small model Girardon himself made, which is now in the Louvre museum. Girardon died in Paris in 1715.
Other famous works by Girardon that you can still see include the Tomb of Louvois in the Church of St-Eustache in Paris. There is also the tomb of Jérôme Bignon, the King's librarian, made in 1656, in St-Nicolas du Chardonnet. He also made decorative sculptures in the Gallery of Apollo and the King's Bedroom in the Louvre.
The museum in his hometown of Troyes has some of his works. These include marble busts of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa. The Town Hall in Troyes has a medallion of Louis XIV. The Church of Saint Remy displays a bronze crucifix he made.
Sculpture
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Winter, Palace of Versailles
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The kidnapping of Proserpina by Pluto (1677-1699), Palace of Versailles
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Sculpture on the base of The Kidnapping of Proserpina by Pluto
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Monument to Louis XIV in the Place Vendôme (1692), destroyed 1789-92
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The tomb of Cardinal Richelieu, Chapel of the Sorbonne (1675-1694)
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Detail of the tomb of Cardinal Richelieu, Chapel of the Sorbonne, (1675-1694)
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Bust of Louis XIV, Musée Saint-Loup, Troyes
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See also
In Spanish: François Girardon para niños
