Barthélemy Prieur (c. 1536–1611) was a French sculptor. Prieur was born to a

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

family in Berzieux,

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

(now in the department of the Marne). He traveled to Italy, where he worked from 1564 to 1568 for

Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy Emmanuel Philibert (; ; 8 July 1528 – 30 August 1580), known as (; "Ironhead", because of his military career), was Duke of Savoy and ruler of the Savoyard states from 17 August 1553 until his death in 1580. He is notably remembered for resto ...

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

. Upon his return to France, he worked principally on funerary monuments and busts, but also on small bronzes. In 1571, he began employment under

Jean Bullant Jean Bullant (; 1515 – 13 October 1578) was a French architect and sculptor who built the tombs of Anne de Montmorency, Grand Connétable of France, Henri II, and Catherine de' Medici. He also worked on the Tuileries, the Louvre, an ...

at the

Palais du Louvre The Louvre Palace (, ), 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 Gardens and the church of Saint-Ger ...

, where he was a contemporary of Germain Pilon. In 1585, he created the monument to Christophe de Thou, now preserved in the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

, and was named sculptor to king Henry IV in 1591. He restored the Roman marble now called the

Diana of Versailles The ''Diana of Versailles'' or ''Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt'' () is a slightly over-lifesize marble statue of the Roman goddess Diana (mythology), Diana Artemis, (Greek: Artemis) with a deer. It is now in the Musée du Louvre, Paris. The statu ...

in 1602. Several of his bronzes are preserved in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, including ''Gladiator'', ''Lion Devouring a Doe'', ''Seated Woman Pulling a Thorn from Her Heel'', and ''Small Horse''. His bronze busts of King Henry IV and the king's wife

Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as rege ...

(c.1600) are now in the

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

. His ''Monument du coeur du connétable Anne de Montmorency'' is on display in the Louvre.

References

* Regina Seelig-Teuwen, "Barthélemy Prieur, contemporain de Germain Pilon", ''Actes du Colloque : Germain Pilon et les sculpteurs français de la Renaissance'', Musée du Louvre, 26-27 Octobre 1990, La Documentation française, Paris, 1993.

External links

Detailed biography of Barthélemy Prieur in the Virtual Museum of Protestantism
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prieur, Barthelemy 1530s births 1611 deaths 16th-century French sculptors French male sculptors 17th-century French sculptors French Protestants Huguenots People from Champagne (province)