GIRARDON, FRANcOIS (1628-1715), French sculptor, was born at Troyes on March 17, 16 28. As a boy he had for master a joiner and wood-carver, named Baudesson, under whom he is said to have worked at the chateau of Liebault, where he attracted the notice of Chancellor Seguier. By the chancellor's influence Girardon was sent to Paris and placed in the studio of Francois Anguier, and afterwards sent to Rome. In 1652 he was back in France ; in Paris he found it necessary to conciliate Le Brun, the court painter. Girardon is reported to have declared himself incapable of composing a group, whether with truth or from motives of policy it is impossible to say. This much is cer tain, that a very large proportion of his work was carried out from designs by Le Brun, and shows the merits and defects of Le Brun's manner. An immense quantity of work at Versailles was entrusted to him, and in recognition of the successful execu tion of four figures for the Bains d'Appolon, Le Brun induced the king to present his protégé personally with a purse of 300 louis. In 165o Girardon was made member of the academy, in 1659 pro fessor, in 1674 adjoint au recteur, and finally in 1695 chancellor. Five years before (169o), on the death of Le Brun, he had also been appointed inspecteur general des ouvrages de sculpture. In ,1699 he completed the bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV., erected by the town of Paris on the Place Louis le Grand. This statue was melted down during the Revolution, and is known to us only by a small bronze model (Louvre) finished by Girardon himself. His Tomb of Richelieu (church of the Sorbonne) was saved from destruction by Alexandre Lenoir, who received a bayonet thrust in protecting the head of the cardinal from mutila tion. It is a capital example of Girardon's work, and the theatrical pomp of its style is typical of the funeral sculpture of the reigns of Louis XIV. and Louis XV. ; but amongst other important speci mens yet remaining may also be cited the Tomb of Louvois (St. Eustache), ths.t of Bignon, the king's librarian, executed in 1656 (St. Nicolas du Chardonneret), and decorative sculptures in the Galerie d'Apollon and Chambre du roi in the Louvre. He died in Paris in 1715.
See Corrard de Breban, Notice sur la vie et les oeuvres de Girardon (185o).