La Galerie de Girardon: Evocation by Hubert de Givenchy

Givenchy's vision for the display of the exhibition was inspired by a set of engravings representing another celebrated collection, that of the sculptor François Girardon (1628-1715). Probably the most influential sculptor in France under Louis XIV, Girardon amassed an extraordinary personal collection which comprised more than 800 items at the time of his death. Around 1708, Girardon commissioned René Charpentier to draw a selection of highlights from his collection, which was then engraved in a series of detailed plates by Nicolas Chevallier and Franz Ertinger. Significantly, the works of art were placed in an imaginary architectural setting designed by architect and ornamentalist Gilles-Marie Oppenordt. Those engravings constitute an important record of both Girardon's own oeuvre, as well as the collecting patterns of one of the most important figures in the arts during Louis XIV reign. A number of bronzes from the collection of M. de Givenchy are mirrored in the engravings such as those representing the Nile and the Tiber, after the antique, as well as an important bronze figure of Bacchus now attributed to Girardon himself. Thanks to Givenchy's penchant for classical bronzes, the interiors of his hôtel particulier in Paris provide a wonderfully modern interpretation of Girardon's aesthetic. With the Paris Biennale taking place in September and two other significant private collections being offered for sale at Christie's in Paris at the same time, it was thought an ideal moment to mount a small exhibition celebrating the collection and legendary style of M. de Givenchy.