January 2010

The process of creating a royal portrait in marble in the seventeenth century: the example of the bust of Louis XIV by Bernini.

Source literary Fréart de Chantelou (Paul), Journal of Bernini's trip to France, 1665, ms. Bib. Institute, ed. P. Lalanne, 1885.

Introduction.
In January 1664, Colbert was named Superintendent of the King's Buildings. The first object of his concerns is the expansion and completion of the Louvre.
After submitting the plan of Le Vau to all architects of Paris but the result does not satisfy Colbert and it showed how the first draft was defective. He decided to use the Italian architects, including Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, architect, sculptor and even a painter, born December 7, 1598, which was then at the height of his fame.
Fréart Paul, Sieur de Chantelou (Maitre d'hotel of the King) was sent by the king to receive him and keep company with him wherever he went. June 2 to October 20, 1665 (dates of arrival of Bernini) Chantelou spent all her days with him. He noted all the most interesting features of his life in Paris, his work, the many visits he had received and made his artistic theories and anecdotes tell he loved so much. He then wrote his notes in diary form. Its existence is revealed the public by Charles Perrault in his memoirs. From 1811, the manuscript was lost and then found by Ludovic Lalanne in 1884, that it will publish in 1885.
It consists of 587 pages which contain the last 18 letters exchanged between the Cavalier and Chantelou since the start of it.
The interest of this newspaper is that it allows to study the process of making the works of Bernini in Paris, including the bust of Louis XIV, on which we focus, and his conception of art and labor of the artist.

A marble portrait.
Before Order and Draft portrait, Bernini's portrait addresses marble. Speaking of sculpture and the difficulty of making the likeness reflected in portraits of marble, Bernini said that someone who bleached their hair, beard, eyebrows, and if we could the apple of the eyes and lips and that person is presented to those who know it well, they do not recognize without doubt. So when a person falls ill, the pallor of her face made it almost does not recognize, and often said: "Parea non più desso" (he seems more himself), and thus It is very difficult to make it look like a marble portrait is of one color.
June 11, he was told on every side that the King wanted him to do his portrait yet Colbert had not spoken to him. He had nothing much to heart that please the King and the serve, he decided to work at the earliest. He then asked for clay to make sketches of the action that could lead to the bust, until work on the resemblance.
June 20, King asked to do one portrait.
The main difficulty and the first that landed him was the choice of marble. The 21th day went looking for them. He then went to the Tuileries at the Val de Grace, where he found two blocks, despite the inferior quality thereof. They were supplied to him on June 30, although one that was chosen was friable ("cotto") and fragile.
June 22, courtiers from the draft admire his work suggested he make a statue instead of a bust. But the knight said he was a bust in there looking for the special delicacies and, what was not in the statue and the bust was made to stand in a room, the other in a gallery; the bust to be seen near the statue and by far and there is no marble here, even for a bust.
July 6, he began to sketch his marble. The Marquis de Bellefonds
(Prime Butler of the King) came (July 22) in the room was a bust. He said he wanted the hair on the forehead. Chantelou replied that the front was one of the main parts of the head and served to the face of man. It was good to see because the King had a handsome face that we should not cover and it would not always hair as he had now.
Trooper spoke and said that the sculptors did not have the advantage What with the painters because the difference in color, they see things more transparent and can cover a front of hair but not prevent it from seeing, that sculptors can not do and he must obey the need of every art.
August 12: In talking Lioness bronze portraits of the Cavalier but says it is a matter less clean than marble, because the blackened bronze and that if the browns, it makes glare and prevents unseen beautiful and delicate portrait. On the contrary, marble, 9 or 10 years after being worked, acquires a smooth and becomes flesh color.
Bernini sometimes working to over forty people, has received considerable criticism (positive or negative), including its work support. Chantelou then transcribed into his text justifications and thoughts on Bernini's sculpture in marble.

Work "by the King" capture the moment.
On 20 June, His Majesty asked him to do his portrait. He said it was a difficult thing, and that would give him the trouble, because it would "need to see it 20 times, and 2 hours each time."
June 23, Trooper went to St. Germain. He draws for the first time after a King head and face in profile.
few days later, Colbert Chantelou written at the request of Bernini to ask to see the King in Saint Germain the next day, he said that would not inconvenience the King, it was sufficient that "he saw the King to mass or elsewhere. " Bernini indeed wish to see the King in his activities to better permeate the bust lines and natural movements of the King.
June 27, 1665, he went to St. Germain. It is in the Council, he draws the King, without the latter being subject to stay in one place. So he said to the King who looked "Sto rubando" (I am trying to steal) King understood that the Italian replied in this language: "If my è per restituire (Yes, but only to return), to which Bernini said:" Pero restituir per meno del rubato "(But for return less than what was stolen).
A St Germain, Bernini designed the King playing at tennis, and during a hearing ambassador: the incredible scene of the artist restyling its own model and requiring it to remain standing. Bernini's work is known and recognized that a certain freedom to work.
Bernini said that when he wants to see the King it is not have to stay stopped, but spoke and acted without taking hardship.
July 19, Louis XIV "began in the situation that he believed could be desired to give the Knight way to work at his drawing, standing, posing. Bernini King observed a moment with attention, and desired that he be seated and then he goes about his business, drawing on her knees on the tile.
Bernini's workshop is transferred to the Royal Palace. The King goes there at least 12 times between August 11 and October 5 and allowed to refine facial features.
Trooper who had observed during two meetings with the King's face it with great accuracy, found that "there is half the mouth is another way than the other, so a different eye of another, also for cheeks that would likeness "he searched for small defects of the face of Louis XIV, not found in other contemporary portraits. He then explains that the beauty of the King was a beauty melee, which was not the delicacy of complexion like many others, that the King's head was that of Alexander, especially the forehead and face the air. The painter admiring
Lefebvre likeness of the bust, he said he even looked like from behind. Trooper said that evening, we put a candle behind someone so that its shadow faces a wall, you will recognize because the person has no head on your shoulders the same way, and all the rest. "The first thing you should look for the resemblance that makes a portrait is usually the person, before thinking about the particular". The truth of a portrait is not in what is seen but what is obvious.
Also, King admiring the bust point that Trooper that he had changed a mark near the mouth and asked why. He said it was better to redo it, after having scored a few hairs at the bottom of the mouth. King said he did not here the last time and he would shave when she would return and that AC does not see. Chantelou said that when you do a portrait, "it should not affect anything because art does not only represent nature pleases." Bernini said that when you shaved this freshness lasts only 2 or 3 hours and most of the time it appears with hair and he must try to represent the state in which one is most often.
September 4, Trooper continues to work mouth. He says that to succeed in a portrait, we must take note and try to properly represent him, that the best time we can choose for the mouth is when it comes to talk or we will speak; that it seeks to catch the moment. Bernini captures the movement in order to capture in the portrait.
Here is a paradox created by Bernini, the marble portrait should reflect the general personality (silhouette, speed, "general person") but Bernini also emphasizes the importance of details, including in its search for physical defects or transcript as perfect as possible traits of the King.
This could perhaps be closer to the theory of two bodies of King Louis XIV was a man (King physical representation of the natural physical features, its flaws), but also the incarnation of the Crown (King psychic : idealization, look, look, drape, face and hair in antiquity).

Method of work on behalf of the royal image: between idealization and natural.
"I do not want to copy but to create an original" (Bernini).
Colbert Bernini noted how the work is advanced and he is so like he can not find the need to go work Bernini in St Germain. Bernini said that he wanted to "work well and he had almost always worked imagination," he had hardly looked at the drawings. Showing the front, he said he had watched "that there, that was what was the idea of the King," otherwise he would have made a copy instead of an original.
He wanted the image printed form and in his imagination, drawing in the Council and the King acting and speaking as usual, without staying in one place and not subject himself to nothing, otherwise it could not represent so sharp. He did the drawings "per e insupparsi imbeversi dell'imagine del Re" (To soak and soak in the image of the King).
He added: "I do not want to copy but to create an original." The reconstruction of the royal figure was derived from his imagination, despite the realistic features are not lacking, the wart on the bridge of the nose to the chin hairs. But in a paradox, as stated by Bernini himself, the portrait is widely idealized. And eyes were carved larger than King and dug for example the look that should dominate the face and represent the strength and greatness of the King.
The allegorical portrait of a hero.
The 30th day of July, Colbert looks at the bust that Bernini works for the hair. Bernini said that made them so old they seem to have some levity, he would try to imitate them.
September 26, Father Butti said he found the head too far back over the eyes and then too low. Chantelou replied that it gives the size, all the beautiful antique heads were so, that the front of the King was this form, and although this was not the case, we should do so; that secrecy in the portraits is to increase the beauty and give big, reduce what is ugly or small or remove when this happens soon. Moreover
July 27, Chantelou bring him or her bust of Ptolemy Hephaestion that Bernini admired before saying that "the King has the edge like this, and it was fine fronts."
M. Roze (Cabinet Secretary) said that nobody was to Bernini came to give the king the nobility and grandeur. Trooper said that the first time he saw the King, he noticed that none of the portraits he had seen many like him. He added that many had found the bust had these beautiful head of Alexander. Mr. Alexander replied Roze had not so much grandeur.
Mr Albon meanwhile, said it would have been desirable that there was no collar to bust. He wanted "to be open collar in the manner of heroes." Chantelou said that the French hero should not be in Roman or Greek, it was good that appeared in this bust of what sort it was the weather was good it was Indeed, it was used to history of time. It is therefore also
allegorical portrait of a hero: he is part of history with its modern dress, some have seen a resemblance to that of Alexander (abundance of hair, protruding brow ridges).
The sculptor had to work sometimes with 40 people, gave rise to comments: the bare forehead (that Bernini changed by digging a "snowflake hair"), the prominent eyebrows, eyes too open, nose too tight and asymmetrical (which disturbed the King, "Is my nose out?").
Finishes.
The August 12, Lions asked what he saw the black mark in the eyes. Bernini replied that once the work finished, he would give a few strokes, whose shadow would the apple of the eye marked by black.
September 10, Trooper showed Chantelou the design of the pedestal to place the bust and the pedestal is a world globe with a note that says: "Picciola basa" (Small Base). Chantelou is the great and noble idea, giving the judge the future of great things of the King. Chantelou said that this refers to the motto of the King, whose body is a sun: "Nec pluribus impar."
It is against that was the final session devoted to posing with the King, October 5. Before the bust placed on a table covered with a carpet. He said then that it was the least bad he went out of his hands and then overcome with emotion he starts to cry without being able to speak.

Conclusion.
Moved to October 13 Louvre, the bust was to take place on a pedestal formed of a trophy and a globe made of copper gilt and blue enamel bearing the inscription: "Picciola basis" for mean that the world is a little too basic for such a great king. This amazing support was not achieved and the bust was installed at the Tuileries, before winning in 1684 the exhibition of Diana at Versailles.
The realization of King's portrait was the only project completed by Bernini and that it lasted for completion of his two months stay in France.
The working method adopted by Bernini reflected his conception of the royal image, where the physical resemblance is with the conceit (idea) that determines the meaning of the work, the supreme expression of greatness, pride, heroism and majesty. : "The King appears on the verge of giving an order."
Bernini managed to capture a fleeting expression demonstrating once again that he had no equal for making facial expression (Ecstasy of Saint Theresa).

Bibliography:
· BEAUSSAIS (Philippe), Louis XIV Artist, ed. small library Payot, 2005, Paris.
· Fréart de Chantelou (Paul), Journal of Bernini's trip to France, 1665, ms. Bib. Institute, ed. P. Lalanne, 1885.
· Marine (Louis), Le Portrait du Roi, Les Editions de Minuit, 1981, Paris.

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