Europe at The Palace of Versailles, France

myminifactory

This is a massive marble sculpture by Pierre Mazeline. Mazeline was a skilled French sculptor born in Rouen in 1633 and passed away on February 7th, 1708, in Paris. In 1668, he was enrolled at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture after creating an impressive wall relief or medallion representing St. John the Evangelist. Later in his career, Mazeline focused his attention on the Garden of Versailles. He designed numerous sculptures for the park and gardens surrounding the Palace of Versailles. Mazeline worked as part of a team led by Charles Le Brun, the first painter to the king, to plan out the layout of the field. This piece is part of a series of sculptures personifying a continent. It can be commonly found in countries such as France and depicted by a woman, as seen in examples like Liberty and Marianne. This sculpture in particular depicts 'Europe', representing a woman holding a shield with a lion relief and a helmet familiar to champions or Athena; looking towards the horizon, the ideologies of bravery and military prowess are highlighted. The European crops shown at the back of the statue include artichoke, squash, corn, and grapes. This is part of a series of sculptures known as the Grande Commande, commissioned by King Louis XIV in 1674 for the Gardens of Versailles. The initial project was proposed in 1674, and plans were drawn up by Charles Le Brun to depict what the series of 24 sculptures could represent. The idea behind this project was to create a "broad review of the effects of God on the world" and a unity of man and nature with personifications of various natural phenomenons and landmarks. The 24 sculptures were divided into four individual series, each depicting different themes: The Four Times of the Day - Morning, Midday, Evening, Night; Four Continents of the World - Europe, Asia, Africa, America; The Four Seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; The Four Elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water; and The Four Human Temperaments - The Choleric, The Phlegmatic, The Sanguine, The Melancholic. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory. This initiative aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access at no cost. Scan The World is an open-source community effort where anyone with interesting items can contribute. If you would like to help, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can participate.