Gilles Guérin (; 1611–1678) was a French sculptor, who created tomb sculptures and decorative sculptures for interiors, which were executed in a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

idiom. He was born and died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He was a pupil of the sculptor Nicolas Le Brun, the father of the painter

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (; baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French Painting, painter, Physiognomy, physiognomist, Aesthetics, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. He served as a court painter to Louis XIV, ...

Notable works

*Chimney pieces and the bas-reliefs of the ''Four Elements'' in the Vestibule at the

Château de Maisons The Château de Maisons (now Château de Maisons-Laffitte ), designed by François Mansart from 1630 to 1651, is a prime example of French Baroque architecture and a reference point in the history of French architecture. The château is located in ...

. * Decorative sculpture at the

Château de Guermantes Château de Guermantes () is a Château located in Guermantes, Seine-et-Marne, northern France. It is a listed monument since 1944. Construction and design Construction of the Château de Guermantes was undertaken by Claude Viole (died 1638), whos ...

. * Ceiling and bed alcove sculpture, to designs of

Louis Le Vau Louis Le Vau (; c. 1612 – 11 October 1670) was a French Baroque architect, who worked for Louis XIV of France. He was an architect that helped develop the French Classical style in the 17th century.''Encyclopedia of World Biography''"Louis Le ...

for the bedroom for Louis XIV in the

Pavillon du Roi The Pavillon du Roi () was a tower-like structure built in the mid-16th century at the southern end of the Lescot Wing of the Louvre Palace. On its main floor (''piano nobile'') was the primary apartment of the king of France. The pavilion served ...

of the

Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxe ...

. Reerected in the gallery housing Egyptian New Kingdom works of art. *Reclining figure (''gisant'') of

Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

, the father of the

Grand Condé Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...

, for his tomb in the church of

Vallery Vallery () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. History The town was acquired by Louis de Bourbon, ''prince de Condé'' - uncle of the future Henry IV of France. The town thus formed part o ...

(Yonne), 1646-51. A one-third scale terracotta model for the finished marble, pointed preparatory to being scaled up, is conserved in the

Musée du Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

. *Kneeling figures for the tomb of the duc Charles de La Vieuville (died 1653) and Marie Bouhier (died 1663). Contract dated 1658; dismantled at the Revolution; preserved in the Musée du Louvre *''Louis XIV Crushes the Fronde'', commissioned 27 March 1653 by the aldermen of the city of Paris and erected 23 June 1654, in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville. The original passed into the hands of the Bourbon-Condé familyThe Bourbon-Condé had been prominent opponents of the king during the aristocratic rebellion called the

Fronde The Fronde () was a series of civil wars in the Kingdom of France between 1648 and 1653, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The government of the young King Louis XIV confronted the combined opposition ...

and may have preferred a less public exhibition of the yoked figure beneath the king's heel. and is preserved at the

Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château, built around 1560 for Anne de Montmore ...

. A terracotta model is conserved in the Musée du Louvre. *''Triton grooming horse of Apollo'', to an idea by

Claude Perrault Claude Perrault (; 25 September 1613 – 9 October 1688) was a French physician and amateur architect, best known for his participation in the design of the east façade of the Louvre in Paris.Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (; baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French Painting, painter, Physiognomy, physiognomist, Aesthetics, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. He served as a court painter to Louis XIV, ...

, in the Grotto of Thetis,

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

, 1665. (noted in Hedin 2001) *

Palais du Louvre The Louvre Palace (, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Ger ...

, Cour Carrée. Roof caryatids, after designs of

Jacques Sarrazin Jacques Sarazin or Sarrazin (; baptised 8 June 1592 in Noyon – died 3 December 1660 in Paris) was a French sculptor in the classical tradition of Baroque art. He was instrumental in the development of the Style Louis XIV through his own wo ...

. * ''L'Amérique'', terminated by Henri Emericq, one of the statues of the "quatre parties du monde" of the Grande Commande, for the

Gardens of Versailles The Gardens of Versailles ( ) occupy part of what was once the ''Domaine royal de Versailles'', the royal demesne of the Palace of Versailles, château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the Palace of Versailles, palace, the gardens cover so ...

Notes

References

Louvre: sculptures by Gilles GuérinJoconde database: Gilles Guérin
*Thomas F. Hedin, "The Petite Commande of 1664: Burlesque in the gardens of Versailles", ''The Art Bulletin'' December 2001
On-line

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guerin, Gilles French sculptors French male sculptors 1611 births 1678 deaths