Lot Essay
The present drawing is preparatory for the full-length statue of Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon (fig. 1), executed by Pajou in 1776.
In 1771 when the Intendant des jardins du Roi Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, the celebrated zoologist and naturalist, fell seriously ill the Surintendant des bâtiments du Roi, the Comte d'Angiviller, seized Buffon's post and added it to his existing responsibilities. D'Angiviller's move was not only ruthless, in that it deprived Buffon's son of his right to suceed to his father' post, but it was also precipitous as Buffon recovered from his illness a few months later. To cover his embarassement, Angiviller in July 1773 organized that Buffon's estate would be elevated to a Comté. A few months later he also commissioned Pajou to carve a life-size statue of the former Intendant to be placed in the King's garden.
The sculpture took Pajou three years to complete, a period during which he also executed two other busts of Buffon, one of which was exhibited at the 1773 Salon. Pajou was instructed to represent the subject 'dans le costume d'un philosophe, les accessoires désignant son génie et ses talents'. Inspired, perhaps by Pigalle's statue of Voltaire, Pajou chose to represent Buffon semi-naked à l'antique, in classical drapery surrounded by various allegorical attributes. Having been completed before Pigalle's Voltaire, it can be said that Pajou's statue is the first neoclassical sculptural portrait to have been carved in the 18th Century in France.
The statue was finished in 1776 and inaugurated in 1777. The statue was not placed in a very favorable location: at the foot of stairs in the Jardin des Plantes. Although the statue was welcomed by the critics, Buffon himself was less enthusiastic. In reply to the congratulations of President de Ruffey, Buffon complained 'Je vous remercie de la part que vous avez le bonté de prendre à cette statue que je n'ai ni mendié ni sollicité, et qu'on m'aurait fait plus de plaisir de ne placer qu'après mon décès. J'ai toujours pensé qu'un homme sage doit plus craindre l'envie que faire cas de gloire, et tout cela s'est fait sans qu'on m'ait consulté', [I thank you for the part that you took in the completion of that statue which I didn't ask for and which would have given much greater pleasure had it been placed there after my death. I have always thought that a wise man ought to fear envy rather than look for glory, especially since all of this happened without me having been consulted], H. Stein, Augustin Pajou, Paris, 1912, p. 171. The artist received 15,000 livres for his work on 31 May 1780. The statue was removed in 1907 to the Natural History Museum of Paris where it still remains.
Futher versions of this sculpture were commissioned from Pajou, including one for the Academy of Dijon presented by Prince de Condé. Pajou also realised other slightly different versions of the statue including a bronze at Versailles, and one in terracotta in the Louvre. Both represent Buffon seated and in contemporary dress, but with the same accessories.
The present drawing is identical to the finished statue and is probably a presentation sheet that Pajou produced to show to the patron
In 1771 when the Intendant des jardins du Roi Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon, the celebrated zoologist and naturalist, fell seriously ill the Surintendant des bâtiments du Roi, the Comte d'Angiviller, seized Buffon's post and added it to his existing responsibilities. D'Angiviller's move was not only ruthless, in that it deprived Buffon's son of his right to suceed to his father' post, but it was also precipitous as Buffon recovered from his illness a few months later. To cover his embarassement, Angiviller in July 1773 organized that Buffon's estate would be elevated to a Comté. A few months later he also commissioned Pajou to carve a life-size statue of the former Intendant to be placed in the King's garden.
The sculpture took Pajou three years to complete, a period during which he also executed two other busts of Buffon, one of which was exhibited at the 1773 Salon. Pajou was instructed to represent the subject 'dans le costume d'un philosophe, les accessoires désignant son génie et ses talents'. Inspired, perhaps by Pigalle's statue of Voltaire, Pajou chose to represent Buffon semi-naked à l'antique, in classical drapery surrounded by various allegorical attributes. Having been completed before Pigalle's Voltaire, it can be said that Pajou's statue is the first neoclassical sculptural portrait to have been carved in the 18th Century in France.
The statue was finished in 1776 and inaugurated in 1777. The statue was not placed in a very favorable location: at the foot of stairs in the Jardin des Plantes. Although the statue was welcomed by the critics, Buffon himself was less enthusiastic. In reply to the congratulations of President de Ruffey, Buffon complained 'Je vous remercie de la part que vous avez le bonté de prendre à cette statue que je n'ai ni mendié ni sollicité, et qu'on m'aurait fait plus de plaisir de ne placer qu'après mon décès. J'ai toujours pensé qu'un homme sage doit plus craindre l'envie que faire cas de gloire, et tout cela s'est fait sans qu'on m'ait consulté', [I thank you for the part that you took in the completion of that statue which I didn't ask for and which would have given much greater pleasure had it been placed there after my death. I have always thought that a wise man ought to fear envy rather than look for glory, especially since all of this happened without me having been consulted], H. Stein, Augustin Pajou, Paris, 1912, p. 171. The artist received 15,000 livres for his work on 31 May 1780. The statue was removed in 1907 to the Natural History Museum of Paris where it still remains.
Futher versions of this sculpture were commissioned from Pajou, including one for the Academy of Dijon presented by Prince de Condé. Pajou also realised other slightly different versions of the statue including a bronze at Versailles, and one in terracotta in the Louvre. Both represent Buffon seated and in contemporary dress, but with the same accessories.
The present drawing is identical to the finished statue and is probably a presentation sheet that Pajou produced to show to the patron