Jean Goujon
Germain Pilon
Barthelemy Prieur
Pierre I. Biard
Michel Anguier
François Girardon
Antoine Coysevox
Jean-Baptiste Pigalle
Jean-Antoine Houdon
On show 125 of the finest statuettes, portrait busts, and monuments reveal the French genius for bronze from the late Renaissance through the times of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. Jean Goujon, Germain Pilon, Barthelemy Prieur, Michel Anguier, Francois Girardon, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and Jean-Antoine Houdon are among the masters in the exhibition, who lent their prodigious talents to the medium.
Beginning in the 16th century, a tradition of bronze sculpture developed in France that was influenced by achievements of the Italian Renaissance but soon revealed its own distinct force, refinement, and panache. Even though French bronzes were among the glories of royal châteaux, including Versailles, and were always collected eagerly by connoisseurs, they have received relatively little public scrutiny.
Evolving from a decadelong collaborative study among scholars, this is the first exhibition to address the subject in 40 years. Approximately 110 of the finest statuettes, portrait busts, and monuments proclaim the French genius for bronze from the late Renaissance through the times of Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. Germain Pilon, Barthélemy Prieur, Michel Anguier, François Girardon, Antoine Coysevox, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and Jean-Antoine Houdon are only a few of the cavalcade of masters in the exhibition who lent their prodigious talents to this prestigious medium.
Accompanied by a catalogue.
The exhibition is made possible by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.
The exhibition was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Musée du Louvre, Paris, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Image: Louis Garnier (ca. 1638–Paris, 1728); Medallions by Simon Curé (ca. 1680–Paris, 1734); Later additions by Augustin Pajou (Paris, 1730–Paris, 1809). The French Parnassus Paris, 1718–1721; Pajou additions, 1762 and 1777. Bronze group; 102 3/8 x 92 1/2 x 90 9/16 in. (260 x 235 x 230 cm) Versailles, Musée National de Versailles, MV 6023
Communications Department The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Press preview Monday, February 23, 10:00 a.m.–noon
Special Exhibition Galleries, first floor
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