Pair of Caryatids

The influence of Sarazin's Roman training can be seen in the first works which he executed on his return to Paris, such as the altar in St Nicolas-des-Champs and the sculpture for the chateau and nymphaeum at Wideville. But a more personal manner appears in his first royal commission, the decoration of Lemercier's Pavillon de l'Horloge at the Louvre. Sarazin's caryatids may claim to be the first works of French classicism in sculpture, and are thus the exact parallel to the work of Poussin and François Mansart at the same moment in the other two arts. From the frontal poses, the archaeological accuracy of the dress, and the treatment of the draperies we can see that Sarazin has not taken his classicism entirely second-hand through the artists he had known in Italy but has also looked directly at ancient Roman statues.

The sculpture was executed by Sarazin's workshop (Gilles Guérin, Philippe de Buyster and Thibaut Poissant) after the terracotta model by Sarazin, and under the direction by Sarazin. The picture shows the first pair of caryatides from the right.