From the 1660s to 1715, the construction work at Versailles was at the origin of the production and collection of a large number of sculptures: these works, desired by Louis XIV and part of his heritage, continue to represent an unequalled peak in the field of public procurement.

Far from having been put together following a preconceived, methodically applied plan, the sculpted heritage of Versailles was developed through a logic of on-going creation which, over the years, enabled various personalities to assert themselves and to leave their mark: Girardon, the Marsy brothers, Coysevox and Keller, but also project managers such as Colbert, Louvois, Le Brun and Hardouin-Mansart.

This book seeks first and foremost to provide a clear view of the different constitutive layers of this heritage, to analyse the conditions under which they were produced and to propose interpretative readings to participate in the site’s history.


Co-publishers: Faton - château de Versailles
Authors : Alexandre Maral
340 pages
Format : 23 x 30 cm
EAN : 9782878441765
Parution: November 2013
Language : French