René-Michel Slodtz
Encyclopedia
René-Michel Slodtz or Michelangelo and in France, Michel-Ange Slodtz (Paris
1705 - 1764) was a French
sculptor working in a Rococo
style, and active mainly in Rome and Paris, and for the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi
.
He passed seventeen years at Rome
, where he was chosen to execute a statue of St Bruno
(1744) for a niche in the nave of St Peter's
. The statue captures the saint's refusal of the bishop's mitre and staff when offered by a cherub, while his right hand rests on a skull, reminding him of his mortality. The simplicity of the monk's robes and the shaved head add classical "gravitas" to the baroque drama. He was also the sculptor of the tomb of Marquis Capponi in San Giovanni dei Fiorentini
.Other works of his are to be seen in the Roman churches of San Luigi dei Francesi
and Santa Maria della Scala
.
After his return to France in 1747, Slodtz, in conjunction with his brothers, Antoine-Sebastien and Paul, produced many decorative works in the churches of Paris, and, though much has been destroyed, his most considerable achievement—the tomb of Languet de Gergy
in St Sulpice
(commissioned in 1750)--still exists.
Slodtz was, like his brothers, a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Many particulars of his life are preserved by Charles-Nicolas Cochin
, in a memoir and also in a letter to the Gazette littéraire, which was reproduced by Castilhon in the Necrologe of 1766.
Slodtz's father, Sébastien Slodtz
(1615–1726), was also a sculptor, born at Antwerp; he became a pupil of François Girardon
and worked mostly under him at Versailles
and the Tuileries. His chief works were Hannibal in the Jardin des Tuileries, a statue of St Ambrose in the Invalides, and a bas-relief Saint Louis sending missionaries to India.
French artist and sculptor, Charles François Hutin
, was a pupil of Slodtz in Rome.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
1705 - 1764) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sculptor working in a Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style, and active mainly in Rome and Paris, and for the Menus-Plaisirs du Roi
Menus-Plaisirs du Roi
The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi was, in the organisation of the French royal household under the Ancien Régime, the department of the Maison du Roi responsible for the "lesser pleasures of the King", which meant in practice that it was in charge of all the preparations for ceremonies, events and...
.
He passed seventeen years at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he was chosen to execute a statue of St Bruno
Bruno of Cologne
Saint Bruno of Cologne , the founder of the Carthusian Order, personally founded the order's first two communities...
(1744) for a niche in the nave of St Peter's
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
. The statue captures the saint's refusal of the bishop's mitre and staff when offered by a cherub, while his right hand rests on a skull, reminding him of his mortality. The simplicity of the monk's robes and the shaved head add classical "gravitas" to the baroque drama. He was also the sculptor of the tomb of Marquis Capponi in San Giovanni dei Fiorentini
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini
San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, St John of the Florentines, is a church in the Ponte rione or district of Rome. Dedicated to St John the Baptist, the protector of Florence, the new church for the Florentine community in Rome was started in the 16th century and completed in early eighteenth and is the...
.Other works of his are to be seen in the Roman churches of San Luigi dei Francesi
San Luigi dei Francesi
The Church of St. Louis of the French is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, to St. Denis the Areopagite and St. Louis IX, king of France...
and Santa Maria della Scala
Santa Maria della Scala
Santa Maria della Scala is a titular church in Rome, found in the Trastevere neighborhood.-History:The church was built to honor a miraculous icon of the Madonna. Tradition holds that the icon, when placed on the landing of a staircase of a neighboring house of a mother who prayed before it, had...
.
After his return to France in 1747, Slodtz, in conjunction with his brothers, Antoine-Sebastien and Paul, produced many decorative works in the churches of Paris, and, though much has been destroyed, his most considerable achievement—the tomb of Languet de Gergy
Jean-Joseph Languet de Gergy
Jean-Joseph Languet de Gergy was a French ecclesiastic and theologian. He was first bishop of Soissons, then a member of the Académie française, and finally archbishop of Sens.-Biography:...
in St Sulpice
Saint-Sulpice (Paris)
Saint-Sulpice is a Roman Catholic church in Paris, France, on the east side of the Place Saint-Sulpice, in the Luxembourg Quarter of the VIe arrondissement. At 113 metres long, 58 metres in width and 34 metres tall, it is only slightly smaller than Notre-Dame and thus the second largest church in...
(commissioned in 1750)--still exists.
Slodtz was, like his brothers, a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. Many particulars of his life are preserved by Charles-Nicolas Cochin
Charles-Nicolas Cochin
Charles-Nicolas Cochin was a French engraver, designer, writer, and art critic. To distinguish him from his father of the same name, he is variously called Charles-Nicolas Cochin le Jeune , Charles-Nicolas Cochin le fils , or Charles-Nicolas Cochin II.-Early life:Cochin was born in Paris, the son of...
, in a memoir and also in a letter to the Gazette littéraire, which was reproduced by Castilhon in the Necrologe of 1766.
Slodtz's father, Sébastien Slodtz
Sébastien Slodtz
Sébastien Slodtz was a French sculptor, the father of a trio of brothers who helped shape official French sculpture between the Baroque and the Rococo. He was born at Antwerp and joined the Paris workshop of François Girardon, under whose direction he worked for the sculptural decor of Versailles...
(1615–1726), was also a sculptor, born at Antwerp; he became a pupil of François Girardon
François Girardon
François Girardon was a French sculptor.He was born at Troyes. As a boy he had for master a joiner and wood-carver of his native town, named Baudesson, under whom he is said to have worked at the chateau of Liebault, where he attracted the notice of Chancellor Séguier...
and worked mostly under him at Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
and the Tuileries. His chief works were Hannibal in the Jardin des Tuileries, a statue of St Ambrose in the Invalides, and a bas-relief Saint Louis sending missionaries to India.
French artist and sculptor, Charles François Hutin
Charles Francois Hutin
Charles Francois Hutin was a French history and figure painter, engraver and sculptor. He became director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden.-Life and work:Hutin was born in Paris in 1715...
, was a pupil of Slodtz in Rome.