FRANÇOIS I AND CHARLES V

IN SAINT DENIS ABBEY.

The Ghentish having revolted against their sovereign Charles V, that prince being at that time in spain begged leave of François Ier to go through France, to subdue his rebellious subjects. The King of France thought that this passage would afford him an opportunity of getting some concession from the Emperor, and chiefly the investing of the Dukedom of Milan for one of his sons.

The Emperor made his entrance at Pavia, on the first of January 1540, and a few days after, the King attended him to Saint Denis abbey, where he was admitted with the most dazzling pomp. The King desires Charles V to cast an eye upon the monument that had just been erected to Louis XII, the late King of France. On the front, and on the left, are discovered Henri, the Dauphin of France, with his brother, Charles Duke of Orleans. The personage seen behind the King, a sword in hand, is the constable Anne of Montmorency.

Facing The King, among the clergy is to be seen the famous Cardinal of Bourbon, who, at that time was an abbot of Saint Denis. Several great personages of the court are seated in rostrums which adorn the extremity of the picture. The painter desirous to retrace the richness of Sains Denis abbey, took care to produce some of the valuable things which the treasury of that monastery abounded in.

The Emperor Napoleon having ordered the abbey of Saint Denis to be restored, he bespoke ten pictures to decorate the vestry of that church.M. Gros having finished the present one, it was then exposed to view at the Museum in 1812 The public was again an admirer of the author's talent. On the restauration, the Government had this picture placed at the Museum of the Luxembourg.

SCULPTURE. ********** BOUCHARDON. ***** FRENCH MUSEUM'

CUPID MENDING HIS BOW.

To indicate that Cupid was master of Gods, as well as Men, he is represented holding the thunder of Jupiter in his hand. The Sculptor here shews him as the conqueror of Mars, and Hercules, he has possessed himself of their arms, and with the sword of the God of war, Cupid carves himself a bow, in the club of Hercules.

It was in the Salon of 1746, that Bouchardon exhibited the model in plaster of this statue, which he executed in marble shortly after. Notwithstanding the ingenious idea of the artist, and the beauty of its execution, this work was not then admired by the public. Placed first at Versailles, afterwards at the château of Choisy, this statue was then banished to Paris, to one of the King's magazines. After several years of neglect, the artist on perceiving it, could not avoid saying. "It is not so bad neither ".

When Mic arranged the garden of the Trianon for Queen Marie Antoinette, he constructed a little cupola in the middle of an island, supported by a range of corinthian columns, and placed this statue of Cupid in the midst; it was then admired as it merited. For some years past it has been deposited again in Paris, and is now in the Museum of modern statuary, and considered as one of the subjects which does most honour to the French chisel.

Pour indiquer que l'Amour était le maître des dieux comme des hommes, on l'a représenté quelque fois tenant en main le foudre de Jupiter. Le statuaire nous le montre ici vainqueur de Mars et d'Hercule; il s'est emparé de leurs armes, et avec l'épée du dieu de la guerre il se taille un arc dans la massue d'Hercule.

C'est au salon de 1746 que Bouchardon exposa le modèle en plâtre de cette statue, dout il exécuta le marbre peu de temps après. Malgré l'ingénieuse idée de l'artiste, malgré la beauté de l'exécution, cet ouvrage ne fut point alors goûté du public. Placé d'abord à Versailles, puis au château de Choisy, cette statue fut ensuite reléguée à Paris dans un des magasins du roi. Après plusieurs années d'oubli, l'auteur en l'apercevant, ne put s'empêcher de dire: « Elle n'est cependant pas si mal. »

Lorsque Mic arrangea le jardin de Trianon, pour la reine Marie-Antoinette, il construisit au milieu d'une île une petite coupole à jour, supportée par une rangée de colonnes corinthiennes, et plaça au milieu cette statue de l'Amour, qui alors fut admirée comme elle le méritait. Depuis quelques années elle a été rapportée à Paris, et se voit maintenant dans le Musée des statuaires modernes. C'est un des morceaux qui fait le plus d'honneur au ciseau français.

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