Sculpture - Mercury Attaching His Heels , Jean - Baptiste Pigalle (1714-1785) - Bronze

Bronze proof representing "Mercury" , Roman god of Commerce and Thieves , messenger of the gods , often serving as mediator between gods and mortals , son of Jupiter , identified in classical times with the Greek Hermes .
Mercury is represented here with the musculature of a young ephebe , seated on a rock , tying his heels .
He is dressed in his unique winged hat .
Bronze with brown patina .
Bronze from the 19th century , after the original model by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle .
Signature of the sculptor "JB. PIGALLE" , hollow .
Bronze dated "1753" , date of presentation at the Salon .
Very good state of preservation and patina .

Height : 59 cm  Length : 31 cm

Jean – Baptiste Pigalle (1714-1785)

Great French sculptor , Jean-Baptiste Pigalle was born in Paris in 1714 .

He worked on his art , under the guidance of Robert Le Lorrain and then Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne .
Convinced that his art is the meaning of his life , he went to Italy in 1734 to perfect his technique .
On his return, he begins his "Mercury attaching his heels", which will allow him to integrate "Les Beaux-Arts" .
His reputation swells in the heart of the Parisian aristocracy .
 "Mme de Pompadour" takes him under his wing at the same time as the orders flow .
Juggling between the Baroque and the Classical , he produced the portraits of "Diderot" , "Voltaire" and then produced the famous funeral monuments intended for the "Marshal of Saxe" (Strasbourg, completed in 1776) .

He died in Paris in 1785 , leaving in his wake remarkable works .