The Melancholic at The Palace of Versailles, France

myminifactory

This marble sculpture depicts a man grasping a book and vial aloft in his hands. The Melancholic is the title of this work, created by Michel de La Perdrix around 1641-1681 and completed between 1675-1680. The piece forms part of a series of 24 sculptures commissioned by Colbert from 1674 for the Parterre d'Eau. This sculpture draws inspiration from Charles Le Brun's character in his drawings and the Four Poems series. It is also part of the Grande Commande, a commission initiated by King Louis XIV in 1674 for the Gardens of Versailles. The initial proposal for this project was submitted in 1674, with plans drawn up by Charles Le Brun to depict 24 sculptures. The idea was to create a unified series showcasing God's effects on the world and man's connection to nature through personifications of various natural phenomena and landmarks. These 24 sculptures were divided into four groups of six each: The Four Times of Day - Morning, Midday, Evening, Night; The Four Continents of the World - Europe, Asia, Africa, America; The Four Seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter; The Four Elements - Earth, Air, Fire, Water; The Four Human Temperaments - The Choleric, The Phlegmatic, The Sanguine, The Melancholic; and The Four Poems - The Heroic Poem, The Lyric, The Satirical, The Pastoral. This object is part of the "Scan The World" project, a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory. Through this effort, we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the world for public access free of charge. Scan the World is an open-source community project, and if you have interesting items nearby that you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn more about how you can help.