Coysevox, CHARLES-ANTOINE, a distinguished French sculptor, b. at Lyons, September 29, 1640; d. at Paris, October 10, 1720; he belonged to a family originally from Spain. At the age of seventeen he executed a much admired Madonna. In 1671 he was employed by Louis XIV on various sculptures at Versailles and at Marly. He was elected a member of the Academy in 1676, and had among his pupils his two nephews, Nicolas and Guillaume Coustou. Coysevox made two bronze statues of Louis XIV, the “Charlemagne” at Saint-Louis des Invalides, and other famous works, but his most famous is probably “La Renomrn e” at the entrance of the Tuileries—two winged horses bearing Mercury and Fame. Napoleon is said to have delighted in the sculptor’s fancy that the horse of Mercury should have a bridle, but not that of Fame. Coysevox also produced some fine sepulchral monuments for the churches of Paris. We owe him a special debt for his contemporary portraits.
M. L. HANDLE