Gilles-Lambert Godecharle (2 December 1750 in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
− 24 February 1835 in Brussels) was a Belgian sculptor, a pupil of
Laurent Delvaux, "the only sculptor of international repute in Delvaux's retinue", who became one of two outstanding representatives of
Neoclassicism in the
Austrian Netherlands
The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The pe ...
.
In response to his early promise, empress
Maria Theresa awarded him a stipend that enabled him to travel for his studies, first to Paris, then to Rome. He received official commissions under
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and under
William I of the Netherlands
William I (Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was a Prince of Orange, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
He was the son of the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, who went ...
.
His pediment sculptures for the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate of the Austrian Netherlands, now the
Belgian Federal Parliament
The Federal Parliament is the bicameral parliament of Belgium. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives ( Dutch: , french: Chambre des Représentants, german: Abgeordnetenkammer) and the Senate ( Dutch: , french: Sénat, german: Senat). ...
, Brussels, (1781–82) are his most prominent public commission, represented today by a careful copy following his models conserved at the
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
[''L'art au Sénat: découverte d'un patrimoine'' p. 26.] but by far the greatest part of his output was in portrait busts.
His son Napoleon Godecharle bequeathed an important part of the family fortune to the City of Brussels, to establish the
Prix Godecharle The Godecharle prize or the Godecharle contest is a contest for art students, the winners of which are granted a scholarship allocated by the Godecharle Foundation. The conditions for participation are that contestants are less than 35 years old, of ...
for painters, sculptors and architects.
See also
*
Prix Godecharle The Godecharle prize or the Godecharle contest is a contest for art students, the winners of which are granted a scholarship allocated by the Godecharle Foundation. The conditions for participation are that contestants are less than 35 years old, of ...
*
Rome Prize
The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...
References
External links
* Fondation Godecharl
(in French) and (in Dutch)
* List of the famous artists, jury's members of the contest Godecharle since its creatio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godecharle, Gilles Lambert
Belgian sculptors
Neoclassical sculptors
1750 births
1835 deaths