Jean Guzhon was a French sculptor, architect, graphic artist; an outstanding master of the Renaissance. The purity and elegance of his style had a great influence on the development of the decorative art of France.
Background
There is no exact information about the early years of Goujon's life. It is believed that he was born in Rouen in 1510 or in 1520. The first mention of him was found in the archives of this city for 1541, where he is called an architect and sculptor. It is believed that he visited Rome, under the influence of the Italian architect Sebastian Serlio, who arrived in France in 1541. However, in contrast to the Italian artists who were inspired by the idea of the revival of the greatness of Ancient Rome, Guzhon embodied in his works the spirit of the art of ancient Greece. Estimated date of his death is 1563-1568.
Education
Gouzhon got his art educational background in France. According to some sources, during this period he got acquainted with the famous Italian architect Sebastian Serlio, which had a significant influence on the formation of the style of the future master.
Career
In a trip to Italy Jean Guzhon had excavated and studied ancient monuments. On his return to his homeland in 1544 he worked in Rouen over the tomb of Seneschal Louis de Brece, wife of the favorite of King Diana de Poitiers. In the same year, Guzhon moved to Paris, where he worked on the pulpit of the church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois (L'eglise Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois). More recently, it became known that Goujon was the possible author of the sculptural decoration of the chapel of the Ecuane Castle (Château d'Écouen), located in the chateau in Val d'Oise near Paris. The first of the known creations of Guzhon was the tombstone of the seneschal Louis de Breese in Rouen. In the general composition of the tomb there is an equestrian statue, which is in the arched niche. A distinctive feature of this work was the fact that the sculptural ensemble includes caryatids (uncharacteristic for the tombstones of Venice, Verona and Bergamo at the time). This motif often occured in the works of Guzhon. The manner of execution of the body stretched out on the pedestal for the master is not peculiar - it is quite possible that Gouzhon took part only in the project of the gravestone, but not in his execution. His creative activity Guzhon began as an architect and decorator, because at that time the sculpture was inextricably linked with architecture. Goujon was talented in both architecture and sculptural plastic. For many years he worked with an outstanding architect of the 16th century Pierre Lescot. The first of their joint work was the Paris mansion of Linieri, today known as the Hotel Carnavale. In the years 1548-1562 Goujon, together with Pierre Pierre Lescot, took part in the construction of the new Louvre building. Goujon's authorship belongs to many of the interiors of the palace and the sculptural decoration of the palace facade. Caryatids supporting the tribune, located in the "Swedish Hall", have a remarkable feature - in contrast to the typical for Italian Mannerism elongated forms, Goujon's caryatids possess classical, close to natural proportions. There is an opinion that the caryatids' portico of the famous temple of the Erechtheion in Athens served as a prototype of the tribune. The magnificent "Ladder of Henry II", the work on which was completed in 1556, is due to the strict unity of its richest architectural and sculptural composition precisely to Guzhon, although many other masters took part in the works on its creation. Despite the numerous subsequent alterations of the Louvre, it is due to its unique appearance, first of all, the talent of the union of two masters - Pierre Lescot and Guzhon. With the following membership, the masters also worked on the festive decoration of Paris on the occasion of the solemn entry of King Henry II in 1549. At that time it was that they created one of the most famous works of French art of the Renaissance - "Fountain of the Innocents. " For the fountain, they performed 15 reliefs: vertical (nymphs) and horizontal ones with naiads, newts and cupids. Noteworthy was the new type of bas-relief offered by Guszhon - the figures, completely placed in the frame, located on a flat stone slab, successfully create the illusion of perspective. Over the decoration of the church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois (L'église Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois), located on the Louvre in Paris, Goujon worked in 1544-1545. He carried out 5 reliefs - "The Descent from the Cross" and four images of the Evangelists, as well as six heads of the cherubim. In the reliefs, the antique style was clearly discernible - a gently molded musculature and the perfect structure of bodies draped with parallel folds of clothes, emphasizes their physical strength and beauty. Goujon's lesser-known works include the sculptural decoration of the Linieri Hotel (1545) and the chapel at the Castle of Equan (now the National Renaissance Museum is located in the castle). His own authorship (about 1540-1550) belonged to figures located on the building of the Paris City Hall - "Allegories of the Twelve Months" that were lost in the fire in 1871. As a graphic, Guzhong is famous for engravings illustrating the treatise of the famous theorist of architecture Vitruvius. In the works of Goujon, the traditions of classical and Italian Renaissance organically combine with the rich heritage of French culture. Contemporary artist, the famous French poet Pierre de Ronsard, praised Goujon as the greatest sculptor of the era.
Religion
One theory that he left France as a Protestant in this period of religious conflict is interesting but not proved.
