Bronze; h 108 cm

This fine model is the work of one of the leading sculptors of the 17th century, Francois Girardon. His monument to Louis XIV was erected in 1699 on the Place Vendome in Paris, but was destroyed during the Revolution, in September 1792, with only a few fragments now in the Louvre. It is only through the various surviving models that we can gain some idea of the appearance of the monument. Dressed as a Roman emperor, Louis XIV is seated astride his horse. Classical reminiscences and the idealization characteristic of the academic schools are combined with exaggerated solemnity and a glorification of the man who was known as the 'Sun King'.