Coysevox, Antoine

(1640-1720)

   sculptor, decorator

   The principal baroque sculptor of the French court during the reign of louis XIV, Antoine Coysevox was born in lyon, the son of a wood sculptor. In 1676, he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and was soon one of the king's preferred sculptors. The variety and abundance of his work is evident at Versailles, where he worked at first under the direction of charles le brun. Coysevox played a large role in the decoration of the Versailles Marble Court, the Greek Gallery, and the salon de la Guerre relief, Louis XIVterassantses ennemis (1688), and the Great Staircase (destroyed). For the gardens, he produced statues and groups of allegorical and mythological subjects (La Garonne; La Dordogne; Le Vase de la guerre). He also sculpted classic works based on themes from antiquity (Vénus accroupie, 1688; La Renommée, and Mercure, 1700-1702, presently at the Tuileries). His baroque style is most clearly evident in his theatrical funerary monuments for jean-baptiste colbert (1685-1712), Cardinal mazarin (1689-93), and Le Brun. In some works (Marie-Adélaïde de Savoie en Diane), he heralds the rococo style. Coysevox's masterpieces are most likely his portrait busts, including 10 of Louis XIV and of Le Grand condé (1686).