Rembrandt at The Louvre, Paris

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Simon Mansion earned a reputation as an exceptional craftsman in luxury woodworking, specializing in Empire style furnishings. His work stood out for its simplicity and meticulous attention to detail, even in the smallest elements. To showcase his skills, Mansion created a piece of furniture adorned with Gothic motifs, lyres, spears, and intricately inlaid copper bay leaves on wood that he hoped to present to Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul. By 1809, Mansion dedicated himself entirely to sculpture. He was responsible for several reliefs that adorn the Louvre's oeils de boeuf, particularly the clock on the Cour Carree, a notable sculpture titled "Lyric Poetry and Music" (1824). Additionally, he crafted busts and statues commissioned by the government. According to his daughter, Mansion lost his sight in 1824 due to working on the reliefs of the Louvre, and he died as a result of his devotion to the Empire style, refusing to create a statue of General Moreau as requested by the Restoration government.