Puget, Pierre
Puget, Pierre
A painter, sculptor, architect, and naval constructor, born at Marseilles, 31 Oct., 1622; died there 2 Dec., 1694. At fourteen he was apprenticed to a shipbuilder and showed much talent. In 1637 he set out on foot for Italy, and found work with the duke’s cabinet-maker in Florence. Later at Rome he studied painting under Pietro da Cortona. In 1643 he returned to France, and was summoned to Toulon to build a man-of-war. In 1646 he was again in Italy as assistant to a religious of the Feuillants, whom Anne of Austria had commissioned to make drawings of all the principal monuments of antiquity. Puget’s attention was thus directed to architecture. In 1653 he was back in France, painting altar-pieces for different churches, the “Annunciation and Visitation” (Aix); the “Salvator Mundi”, the “Baptism of Constantine and of Clovis” (Marseilles). Some pictures believed to be his are probably the work of his son François. In 1660 Fouquet sent him to Carrara to buy marble for his palace. After the fall of Fouquet, Puget lingered in Genoa long enough to execute many works: “St. Sebastian”; “B. Alexander Sauli”; a “Madonna” for the Balbi; another for the Carrega; “St. Philip Neri”; the “Rape of Helen”, Palazzo Spinola; a relief of the “Assumption” for the Duke of Mantua. His sculptures in the Louvre are “Hercules”, “Janus and the Earth”, “Perseus delivering Andromeda”, “Milo of Crotona”, “Alexander and Diogenes”. At the Consigne, Marseilles, is his “Plague of Milan”. Architectural works are the door and balcony of the Hotel de Ville, Toulon; the fish market, Marseilles; he also commenced the Church and Hospice of Charity in that city, but left it unfinished at his death.
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LAGRANGE, Pierre Puget, peintre, sculpteur, architecte (Paris, 1868); CICOGNARA, Storia della Scultura (Venice, 1813); HENRY, Sur la vie et les œuvres de P. Puget (Toulon, 1853).
M. L. HANDLEY. Transcribed by Douglas J. Potter Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, CensorImprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Puget, Pierre
called the Michael Angelo of France, on account of his ability in painting and architecture, as well as in sculpture, and perhaps also on account of a kindred enthusiasm and decision of character, was born in 1622 at Marseilles, where his father practiced as an architect and sculptor. It was from him that he received his first instructions in art, after which he was placed under a shipwright, or builder of galleys, to learn to carve the ornaments used in these vessels. Disgusted with the drudgery of such workmanship, he set out for Italy, and passed a considerable time at Florence, where he pursued his studies as a sculptor with great success. He next repaired to Rome, whither he was attracted by the fame of Pietro de Cortona. He became the pupil of that artist, but made such progress that he accompanied him to Florence as assistant to paint the ceilings of the Pitti palace. He suddenly resolved upon returning to France, when only twenty- one. But, commissioned to design a vessel of extraordinary magnificence, Puget proceeded a second time to Rome, and there spent between five and six years: what afterwards became of his valuable collection of drawings is not known. On his second return from Italy he painted; but excessive application so seriously affected his health that he confined himself thenceforth to architecture and sculpture. His talents met with employment at Toulon and Marseilles, and for the latter city he projected many embellishments, which established his reputation as an architect; and he further gave proof of great skill in engineering by different ingenious machines and inventions. He was sent by Fouquet to Genoa for the purpose of selecting marble for some of the works proposed to be executed at Marseilles; but that minister being shortly afterwards disgraced, instead of returning home, Puget preferred remaining at Genoa, where he produced some of his most noted pieces of sculpture, the two statues of St. Sebastian and St. Ambrosius, and the grand bas-relief of the Assumption, in the chapel of the Albergo de’ Poveri, besides various architectural ornaments. At length he was recalled by Colbert, who obtained for him a pension of 1200 crowns, in consee quence, it is said, of the earnest recommendation of Bernini. That the patronage of the one and the recommendation of the other were not discredited is proved by his two celebrated performances at Versailles, the Milo of Crotona and the group of Perseus and Andromeda, the former of which is generally reckoned the chef d’euv’e of his chisel, and a work that will bear comparison with the antique. He died at Marseilles, where he spent his last days, Dec. 2, 1694. Engl. Cyclop. s.v.; Lenoir, Musie des Monuments Francais, s.v.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.