Art@Site www.artatsite.com Nicolas Coustou Seine et Marne
Artist:

Nicolas Coustou

Title:

Seine et Marne

Year:
1712
Adress:
Jardin des Tuileries
Website:
www.histoire-image.org:
Analyse des images
Cette allegorie represente la jonction des deux fleuves principaux de l'Ile-de-France. La Seine est representee sous la forme d’un vieillard idealise, appuye sur une corne d’abondance de laquelle sortent de nombreux fruits dont des melons, du raisin ou des grenades, rendant compte de la richesse apportee aux pays traverses par ce fleuve. La presence de la corne est a mettre en rapport avec les figures deja existantes du Tibre et du Nil antiques, exposes a l'epoque a Rome et connus par la gravure. Homme majestueux et souverain, il tient la rame, embleme antique de sa domination sur les eaux – comme le veut l'iconologie de Cesare Ripa. Il est assis de maniere a etre sureleve par rapport aux autres figures. A ses cotes, la Marne est incarnee sous les traits d’une jeune femme, penchee en arriere et souriante ; elle est situee a l'oppose de la Seine, dans un geste vivant et gracieux. Elle est par ailleurs perçue comme une nymphe. Deux enfants les entourent, chacun apportant des elements supplementaires a la comprehension du groupe statuaire. l'un, plus pres de la Seine, joue avec un cygne alors que l'autre tendait une ecrevisse a la Marne (cette partie de l'oeuvre n’existe plus aujourd’hui). Les cygnes avaient ete importes par Louis XIV, sans doute pour leur relation tenue avec Apollon, le dieu solaire, et etaient entretenus sur la cassette royale.
La composition elegante et dynamique, dans laquelle les deux fleuves se repondent en diagonale, est innovante. Elle sexplique par la volonte de Louis XIV d’admirer des oeuvres isolees et non pas adossees a des murs, telles que les antiques du Tibre et du Nil l'etaient dans leur presentation au Belvedere. l'artiste cree donc un groupe admirable de tous cotes afin que le spectateur, en tournant autour de celui-ci, soit marque par la singularite de chaque detail et la finesse de sa technique. Neanmoins, le parcours realise par le spectateur in situ etait regi par l'implantation des bassins et des fontaines, qui proposaient donc une vision determinee de ce groupe. l'inspiration pour la Seine est derivee de la statue antique du Tibre, presentee dans la salle du Belvedere au Vatican. Une copie etait presente dans la collection de Louis XIV ; en effet, a partir de 1666, l'Academie de France a Rome est pensee afin de permettre aux jeunes artistes de copier ou de mouler les statues antiques de la Ville eternelle. A la fin du regne de Louis XIV, les collections royales sont donc constituees d’un ensemble inegale des oeuvres sculptees les plus importantes de l'Antiquite dont les artistes sinspirent et qu’ils doivent meme surpasser, selon la volonte du roi.
Interpretation
Creer une nouvelle Rome tant par le nombre de statues copiees d’apres l'antique que par les creations nouvelles des artistes français est clairement une demonstration du pouvoir acquis par Louis XIV tout au long de son regne. Le groupe de la Seine et de la Marne, bien que dans un lieu dedie au plaisir, doit tout de meme entretenir l'image du souverain absolu et surtout l'assise de son pouvoir. De fait, la Seine est surelevee afin de faire une reference directe a la Machine de Marly, veritable prouesse technique permettant de faire remonter le cours d’eau pour alimenter les bassins du château. Ces demonstrations de pouvoir sont faites par la richesse des fleuves français et contrairement a d’autres realisations, le groupe de Coustou et le bassin des Nappes en general mettent en avant un aspect nourricier et pacifique du roi. Ainsi, les commandes effectuees pour Marly correspondent a un art different de celui de Versailles, plus leger et plus naturel, ideal pour une demeure de plaisance royale.
Auteur : Saskia Hanselaar

www.wikipedia.org:
Born in Lyon, Coustou was the son of a woodcarver, who gave him his first instruction in art. When he was eighteen years old he moved to Paris, to study under C.A. Coysevox, his maternal uncle, who presided over the recently established Academie royale de peinture et de sculpture; and at the age of twenty-three Coustou won the Colbert prize (the Prix de Rome, which entitled him to four years of education at the French Academy at Rome. He subsequently became rector and chancellor of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture. From 1700, he worked with Coysevox at the palaces of Marly and Versailles.

Translation
www.histoire-image.org:
Image analysis
This allegory represents the junction of two main rivers of the Ile-de-France. The Seine is represented as an idealized old man, leaning on a cornucopia out of which many fruits including melons, grapes and pomegranates, reflecting the wealth brought to countries along this river. The presence of the horn is to be compared with the existing figures of the ancient Tiber and Nile exposed at the time in Rome and known through engravings. Man majestic and sovereign, he holds the oar, ancient emblem of dominion over the waters - as is iconology of Cesare Ripa. It is seated so as to be raised relative to the other figures. At his side, the Marne is embodied in the guise of a young woman, leaning back and smiling; it is located opposite the Seine, in a lively and graceful gesture. It is also seen as a nymph. Two children around them, each bringing additional elements to understanding the statuary group. One closer to the Seine, playing with a swan while the other held out a crayfish in Marne (this part of the work no longer exists). The swans were imported by Louis XIV, probably to their tenuous relationship with Apollo, the sun god, and were maintained on the royal cassette.
The elegant and dynamic composition in which the two rivers meet diagonally, is innovative. It is explained by the will of Louis XIV to admire individual works and not backed by walls, such as the ancient Tiber and Nile were in their presentation at the Belvedere. The artist thus creates a wonderful group of all sides so that the viewer, turning around it, is marked by the singularity of each detail and subtlety of his technique. Nevertheless, the journey made by the viewer in situ was governed by the siting of ponds and fountains, thus proposing a specific vision for this group. The inspiration for the Seine is derived from the ancient statue of the Tiber, presented in the hall of the Vatican Belvedere. A copy was present in the collection of Louis XIV; Indeed, from 1666, the Academie de France in Rome is thought to allow young artists to copy or mold the ancient statues of the Eternal City. At the end of the reign of Louis XIV, the royal collections are composed of an unmatched set of the most important sculpted works of antiquity which artists are inspired and should even surpass, according to the king's will.
Interpretation
Create a new Rome both by the number of copied from the antique statues as new creations by French artist is clearly a demonstration of the power acquired by Louis XIV throughout his reign. The group of the Seine and Marne, although in a place dedicated to pleasure, must still maintain the image of the absolute sovereign and above the seat of his power. In fact, the Seine is raised to make a direct reference to the Machine de Marly, technical feat to be traced the river to feed the basins of the castle. These power demonstrations are made by the richness of French rivers and unlike other achievements, the group Coustou and pelvis in general Tablecloths highlight and foster peaceful aspect of the king. Thus, orders placed to Marly correspond to a different art to that of Versailles, lighter and more natural, ideal for a residence of royal pleasure.
Author: Saskia Hanselaar

www.wikipedia.org:
Born in Lyon, Coustou was the son of a woodcarver, who gave him his first instruction in art. When he was eighteen years old he moved to Paris, to study under C.A. Coysevox, his maternal uncle, who presided over the recently established Academie royale de peinture et de sculpture; and at the age of twenty-three Coustou won the Colbert prize (the Prix de Rome, which entitled him to four years of education at the French Academy at Rome. He subsequently became rector and chancellor of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture. From 1700, he worked with Coysevox at the palaces of Marly and Versailles.