Pierre Le Gros French Baroque sculptor Date of Birth: 04.12.1666 Country: France

1. Pierre Le Gros II: A Baroque Master
2. Early Training and Recognition
3. Roman Sojourn and Major Commissions
4. Masterful Collaboration and Papal Patronage
5. Academic Success and Conflict
6. Late Career and Demise

Pierre Le Gros II: A Baroque Master

Pierre Le Gros II, a renowned French Baroque sculptor, spent a significant portion of his life in Rome. The son of a court sculptor to King Louis XIV, Le Gros II inherited a passion for art from his lineage. His uncles, Gaspard and Balthazar Marsy, were also accomplished sculptors.

Early Training and Recognition

Under the tutelage of his father, Le Gros II honed his sculpting skills. He furthered his artistic education by studying drawing with his grandfather, Jean Lepatre, a copper engraver. As a young artist, he participated in competitions held by the prestigious Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris. His exceptional talent was recognized with the third prize in drawing (1685) and the first prize in sculpture (1686). Subsequently, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome, enabling him to travel and study in Italy.

Roman Sojourn and Major Commissions

In Rome, Le Gros II joined the French Academy in 1690. He created a marble copy of the ancient statue of Veturia, which is now exhibited in the Tuileries Gardens in Paris. Between 1695 and 1697, he participated in a competition organized by the Jesuit order for the decoration of their church in Rome. He was commissioned to sculpt an allegorical group, "Religion Expels Heresy," and a silver altar statue of Saint Ignatius.

Masterful Collaboration and Papal Patronage

Le Gros II's collaboration with architect Filippo Juvarra resulted in the creation of the Antamori Chapel in the Church of San Girolamo della Carità (1708-1710), featuring a seemingly airborne statue of Saint Philip Neri. In 1700, he constructed an elaborate sarcophagus for the canonized Pope Pius V at the request of the Dominican order.

Academic Success and Conflict

Le Gros II became a member of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome in 1700. His statue of Saint Dominic was installed in the choir of St. Peter's Basilica in 1702, later replaced by a marble copy of his own design in 1706. However, his exclusion from the competition for the final four statues of the apostles for the Lateran Basilica (1716) led to a conflict with the Accademia di San Luca. This incident effectively marginalized him within the Roman art scene.

Late Career and Demise

After briefly returning to Paris in 1715, Le Gros II faced hostility from his French colleagues and returned to Rome the following year. Despite setbacks, he continued to receive commissions through his friend Juvarra, including two sculptures for the facades of buildings in Turin. Sadly, Le Gros II died at the age of 53 from pneumonia. Posthumously, he was reinstated as an academician of the Accademia di San Luca in 1725.