Auguste-Marie Taunay (1768–1824) was a French sculptor.

Early years

Auguste-Marie Taunay was born in Paris in 1768. He studied sculpture under Jean Guillaume Moitte (1746–1810) at the ''

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

'' in Paris. At the age of 24 he was awarded the first prize for Sculpture, the ''

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

'', on 1 September 1792 for a bas-relief. Due to the turmoil of the early phases of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

(1789–1799) he did not travel to Rome. He worked as a sculptor at the

Manufacture nationale de Sèvres The ''Manufacture nationale de Sèvres'' is one of the principal European porcelain factories. It is located in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine, France. It is the continuation of Vincennes porcelain, founded in 1740, which moved to Sèvres in 1756. It ...

, a porcelain works, from 1802 to 1807. He decorated the

Louvre Palace The Louvre Palace (french: link=no, Palais du Louvre, ), often referred to simply as the Louvre, is an iconic French palace located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, occupying a vast expanse of land between the Tuileries Ga ...

stairway and made a statue of ''The Cuirassier'' (1807) for the

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel () ( en, Triumphal Arch of the Carousel) is a triumphal arch in Paris, located in the Place du Carrousel. It is an example of Neoclassical architecture in the Corinthian order. It was built between 1806 and 1808 ...

. Between 1808 and 1814 he exhibited in several

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

s. He made a well-known statue of

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 ...

with his arms crossed.

Brazil

Taunay was a member of the ''

Missão Artística Francesa The French Artistic Mission in Brazil ( pt, Missão Artística Francesa) was a group of French artists and architects that came to Rio de Janeiro, then the capital city of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, in March 1816, u ...

'' (French Artistic Mission) organized by

Joachim Lebreton Joachim Lebreton (1760–1819) was a French professor, public administrator and legislator. Biography Lebreton began his career as professor of Rhetoric at the Collège de Tulle. He was appointed administrator of Fine Arts of the Ministry of ...

which brought a group of artists to Brazil, arriving on 25 March 1816. These included the painter

Jean-Baptiste Debret Jean-Baptiste Debret (; 18 April 1768 – 28 June 1848) was a French painter, who produced many valuable lithographs depicting the people of Brazil. Debret won the second prize at the 1798 Salon des Beaux Arts. Biography Debret studied at th ...

(1768-1848), Auguste's brother the painter

Nicolas Antoine Taunay Nicolas-Antoine Taunay (10 February 1755 – 20 March 1830) was a French painter known best for his landscapes with scenes from ancient and modern history, mythology, and religion. Early years Nicolas Antoine Taunay was born in Paris, France, in ...

(1755-1830), the engraver Charles-Simon Pradier (1786-1847)), the sculptor Marc Ferrez (1788-1850), his brother the engraver

Zepherin Ferrez Zéphyrin Ferrez (or Zepherin Ferrez; 31 July 1797 – 22 July 1851) was a French sculptor and engraver who spent much of his career in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Early years Zepherin Ferrez was born in Saint-Laurent, France in 1797. In 1810 he ...

(1797-1851) and the architect

Auguste-Henri-Victor Grandjean de Montigny Auguste-Henri-Victor Grandjean de Montigny (15 July 1776 – 2 March 1850) was a French architect who had considerable influence on the development of architecture in Brazil. Early years Auguste-Henri-Victor Grandjean de Montigny was born on 15 J ...

(1776-1850). They were to form the nucleus of a royal art academy in Brazil. The arrival of the French group caused some controversy among the local Portuguese intelligentsia, who were concerned at the excessive influence being given to the French in developing the cultural life of Brazil. In turn, the French were unhappy with political appointments such as the appointment of Henrique José da Silva as head of the school in place of Lebreton. This was the reason why Tauney's brother, Nicholas Antoine Taunay, returned to France. Taunay was appointed professor of sculpture at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Rio, but did not take up the post. In 1818 he worked with Grandjean de Montigny and Debret on the decorations of the Largo do Paço for the celebrations of the accession of King

John VI of Portugal , house = Braganza , father = Peter III of Portugal , mother = Maria I of Portugal , birth_date = , birth_place = Queluz Palace, Queluz, Portugal , death_date = , death_place = Bemposta Palace, Lisbon, Portugal , ...

. For this he made a sculpture of ''Minerva protecting the Bust of the Monarch with her Aegis''. He made a plaster bust of

Luís de Camões Luís Vaz de Camões (; sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns, ; c. 1524 or 1525 – 10 June 1580) is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespear ...

, now held by the Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute in Rio de Janeiro. Taunay died in Rio de Janeiro in 1824.

Works

The best-known works of Taunay include: *Jean-Baptiste Muiron, chef de battalion (1774-1796), marble bust, in the Palace of Versailles *Antoine-Louis-Charles, comte de Lasalle-général (1775-1809), marble sculpture, 1st Empire period (1804-1814) (height ), in the Palace of Versailles *Bust of Antoine-Louis-Charles, Earl Lasalle, General Division (1775-1809), modeled in plaster, in the Palace of Versailles *Decoration of the Escalier du Midi in the Louvre *Decoration of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel File:Antoine-Louis-Charles.jpg,

Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle Antoine-Charles-Louis, Comte de Lasalle (10 May 1775, Metz6 July 1809, Wagram) was a French cavalry general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, often called "The Hussar General". He first gained fame for his role in the Capitulation ...

, French cavalry General during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars known as “The Hussar General" File:Arc de triomphe du carrousel frontispice.jpg, Upper frieze with sculptures of soldiers: Taunay's cuirassier (left), Corbet's dragoon, Joseph Chinard's horse grenadier and

Jacques-Edme Dumont Jacques-Edme Dumont (April 10, 1761 in Paris – February 21, 1844 in Paris) was a French sculptor. Dumont came from a dynasty of sculptors that included his great-grandfather Pierre Dumont, grandfather François Dumont, father Edme Dumont and ...

's sapper. File:Arc de triomphe du carrousel-paris.jpg, General view of the

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Taunay, Auguste-Marie 1768 births 1824 deaths 18th-century French sculptors French male sculptors 19th-century French sculptors 19th-century French male artists 18th-century French male artists