Christ in gilt bronze After François Girardon, France 18th century

For lovers of Old Master Sculpture, and particularly that of the Grand Siècle, the name of François Girardon (1628-1715), sculptor to the Sun King, is one of the most famous. Born in Troyes, the artist was quickly spotted for his talent and received the support of the famous chancellor Séguier, who sent him to Rome to train. In the city of the Baroque, Girardon rubbed shoulders with the dynamism and theatricality of the great Italian masters, particularly Bernini. Despite this experience, he remained deeply rooted in the French classical tradition throughout his life, favouring harmony, restraint and idealised beauty.
On his return to Paris in 1652, Louis XIV took him under his wing. He held prestigious positions and became one of the main collaborators of Charles Le Brun, the king's first painter. He played a central role in the grandiose artistic projects of the period, such as the Galerie d'Apollon in the Louvre, and even more so in the decoration of the gardens at the Château de Versailles, for which he produced his most famous works, such as the group of Apollo and the nymphs and the Allegory of Winter, emblematic masterpieces of French classicism.
These works are distinguished by their elegance, balance and expressive power, all qualities that can be seen in our gilded bronze Christ, based on the Christ on the Cross that Girardon donated to the parish of Saint-Rémy in Troyes in 1690. Still displayed on the altar today, it shows the living Christ, his head resting on his right shoulder, his gaze focused on the horizon. Of more modest dimensions, our Christ is strictly based on this composition, which was published in an engraving by Simon Thomassin. Like his model, his powerful torso reveals a fine musculature, but without hyper-realism. His smooth skin, accentuated by the patina of the bronze, and the smooth, harmonious transitions between each of his muscles, capture the light. Taken as a whole, the subject has the formal perfection, nobility and serenity typical of Girardon's aesthetic, and in this composition he embodies the artistic ideal of an entire period.