The Four Captives by Martin Desjardins The Four Captives by Martin Desjardins
The royal monument of the Place des Victoires
The Cour Puget’s large bronze Four Captives once decorated the pedestal of the standing statue of Louis XIV (King of France from 1643 to 1715) in the Place des Victoires. Their author is Martin Desjardins – the gallicised name of an eminent royal sculptor of Dutch origin – who was already known for his work on the Hôtel Salé (today’s Musée Picasso).
The monumental ensemble was commissioned in 1679 by a private individual: François d'Aubusson, Duc de La Feuillade and Marshal of France, who had made a name for himself in military campaigns in Franche-Comté and Sicily. A shrewd courtier, he came up with the idea of erecting a grandiose monument in his king’s honour. Communicating with the City of Paris, he proposed to place the statue in a large square, for which architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart would draw up the plans. Its name, Place des Victoires, is a tribute to France’s success in the Franco-Dutch War, which ended in 1679 with the Peace of Nijmegen. The monument was inaugurated in 1686.
The statue of King Louis XIV and its pedestal
The gilt bronze standing – as opposed to equestrian – statue of the king was the centrepiece of the ensemble. Wearing coronation robes, Louis XIV was shown standing atop the three-headed dog Cerberus and various war trophies as he was crowned by a winged Victory. The words ‘Viro Immortali’ – ‘To the Immortal Man’ – accompanied the imposing, large-scale figure of some 5 metres in height. The statue was toppled and melted down during the French Revolution.
What does remain, however, are four large rectangular bas-relief plaques that adorned the sculpture's high pedestal, as well as the medallions made for the square's large lanterns. On display in the Cour Puget along with the Four Captives,these bronze bas-reliefs show the feats and exploits, military battles and important events marking the king’s reign.
Within the scope of this augmented-reality project, the appearance of the missing statue and its pedestal has been recreated. This artistic interpretation is based on graphic depictions and written descriptions. The scale was slightly modified to enable a virtual reconstruction in the courtyard that would fit in with the museum's existing design.
The Four Captives – spectacular relics
The Four Captives, larger-than-life bronze figures that sat at the king’s feet, symbolise the four nations whose defeat was made official by the Treaties of Nijmegen in 1679. Each represents a particular age of man and reaction to captivity.
Spain is a smooth-faced young man with luxuriant long hair. His nude, upright body, as well as his upturned face and skyward gaze suggest hope. The Empire (Holy Roman Empire) is a bearded old man in a classical tunic. His head is bowed, the body sagging in resigned despondency. The Dutch Republic is a youngish man with masculine features and a short beard. He rebels, his nude body ready to leap up and his expression fierce as he brings his shoulder forward in a gesture of defiance. Brandenburg is a middle-aged man dressed as a barbarian of old, in the manner of the Farnese Captives – classical marble statues highly regarded by artists. The hand clutching his cloak, the slumping right shoulder and his strained expression convey grief.
During the French Revolution, the Four Captives were seen as victims of absolute power; as a result, they were spared and their shackles broken. Taken to the Louvre in 1790, they were later installed at the Invalides (1804–1962) and the Parc de Sceaux before reaching the Louvre in 1992.
