Le Bain des Nymphes
A Carved Marble Relief of Bathing Nymphs
After François Girardon (1628-1715) French, 18th Century
Provenance: Private Collection (United Kingdom)
Height: 26cm Width: 56cm Depth: 5cm
This finely carved marble tablet depicts a group of nude nymphs frolicking in a lush, watery landscape. The figures are sensual yet restrained and modelled in shallow relief, drawing inspiration from Le Bain des Nymphes, a celebrated bas-relief originally designed for the gardens of Versailles, by François Girardon between 1668 and 1670. The original work, in lead and formerly gilded, was installed under the Fountain of the Pyramid at the top of the Allée d'Eau. It was part of a collaborative decorative theme for the palace's fountains and basins, with contributions from notable sculptors such as Legros, Le Hongre and Magnier and possibly designed by Claude Perrault.
The present panel translates Girardon's composition into marble, likely intended for architectural use such as a fireplace although this relief curiously shows no fixing marks.
Literature: See Le Bain des Nymphes, Versailles, Parl. Referenced in Charles Perrault, Mémoires, ed. Bonnefon, 1909; engraved by Thomassin; discussed in Francastel, p. 71.
After François Girardon (1628-1715) French, 18th Century
Provenance: Private Collection (United Kingdom)
Height: 26cm Width: 56cm Depth: 5cm
This finely carved marble tablet depicts a group of nude nymphs frolicking in a lush, watery landscape. The figures are sensual yet restrained and modelled in shallow relief, drawing inspiration from Le Bain des Nymphes, a celebrated bas-relief originally designed for the gardens of Versailles, by François Girardon between 1668 and 1670. The original work, in lead and formerly gilded, was installed under the Fountain of the Pyramid at the top of the Allée d'Eau. It was part of a collaborative decorative theme for the palace's fountains and basins, with contributions from notable sculptors such as Legros, Le Hongre and Magnier and possibly designed by Claude Perrault.
The present panel translates Girardon's composition into marble, likely intended for architectural use such as a fireplace although this relief curiously shows no fixing marks.
Literature: See Le Bain des Nymphes, Versailles, Parl. Referenced in Charles Perrault, Mémoires, ed. Bonnefon, 1909; engraved by Thomassin; discussed in Francastel, p. 71.