René-Michel Slodtz called Michel-Ange Slodtz (1705–1764) was a French sculptor who worked in

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style, and active mainly in Paris and Rome for the

Menus-Plaisirs du Roi The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi () was, in the organisation of the French royal household under the Ancien Régime, the department of the Maison du Roi responsible for the "lesser pleasures of the King", which meant in practice that it was in charge of a ...

Biography

A Parisian by birth, Slodtz's father,

Sébastien Slodtz Sebastiaen Slodtz, in France called Sébastien Slodtz (1655–1726) was a Flemish sculptor and decorator who after training in his native Antwerp, moved to France where he became a court sculptor to the King.Gordon Campbell, The Grove Encyclopedia ...

, was also a sculptor. Sv Petr Vatican interier 15

Slodtz spent seventeen years in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where he was chosen to execute a statue of '' St. Bruno'' (1744) for a niche in the nave of St Peter's. The statue demonstrates the saint's refusal of the bishop's miter and staff offered by a cherub, while his right hand rests on a skull, evoking mortality. The simplicity of the monk's robes and the shaved head adds classical style to the heavily

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

sculpture. He also sculpted the tomb of Marquis Capponi in

San Giovanni dei Fiorentini The Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini ("Saint John of the Florentines") is a minor basilica and a titular church in the Ponte ''rione'' of Rome, Italy. Dedicated to St. John the Baptist, the protector of Florence, the new church for the ...

. Other Roman churches showcase his work including

San Luigi dei Francesi The Church of St. Louis of the French ( it, San Luigi dei Francesi, french: Saint Louis des Français, la, S. Ludovici Francorum de Urbe) is a Roman Catholic church in Rome, not far from Piazza Navona. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, ...

and

Santa Maria della Scala Santa Maria della Scala (English: Mary of the Staircase) is a titular church in Rome, Italy, located in the Trastevere rione. Cardinal Ernest Simoni took possession of the titular church on 11 February 2017. Santa Maria della Scala is a titular ...

. After his return to France in 1747, Slodtz, in conjunction with his brothers, Antoine-Sebastien and Paul, produced many decorative works in the churches of Paris, and, though many have been destroyed, his most acclaimed achievement is the tomb of

Jean-Joseph Languet de Gergy Jean-Joseph Languet de Gergy (; 25 August 1677 – 11 May 1753) was a French ecclesiastic and theologian. He was first bishop of Soissons, then a member of the ''Académie française'', and finally archbishop of Sens. Biography Son of the publi ...

at St. Sulpice, which was commissioned in 1750. Slodtz and his brothers were members of the

Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abol ...

. Notable French artist and sculptor,

Charles François Hutin Charles François Hutin (4 July 1715 – 29 July 1776) was a French history and figure painter, engraver and sculptor. He became director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden.Hélène Guicharnaud. "Hutin." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Onlin ...

, was a pupil of Slodtz while in Rome.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Slodtz, Rene-Michel 1705 births 1764 deaths Artists from Paris 18th-century French sculptors French male sculptors Rococo sculptors 18th-century French male artists