COUSTOU, the name of two very distiuguished French sculptor', brothers, of Lyon.
Ntecedss Cousrou was burn in 1658, and having received some instruction from his father, who was a carver in wood, went in his nineteenth year to Paris, and became the pupil of his uncle, Antoine Coysevox, a distinguished sculptor. \Vheu only tweuty•thrce years of ago ho obtained the grand Academy prize iu sculpture, and went in consequence as a pensiouer to Rome. Iu Rome, where he remained three years, Couston paid more attention to the modern than the ancient works in sculpture. His favourite masters were Michel Angelo and Algardi, whom he studied for their opposite qualities, endeavunrs ing to combine in his own works the merits of each ; to modify the harsh vigour of Michel Angelo by the less evident grace of .Algardi.
His first great work in Paris was the colossal group representing the junction of the Seine and Marne, now in the gardou of the Tuileries. There are four other statues by Coustou iu the same garden, of which the best is the ' Berger Chas/lour.' He made also the celebrated group of the 'Tritons' for the rustic cascade, at Ver sailles. But his work of highest pretensions is the 'Descent from the Cross' iu the choir of the cathedral of Notre Dame, generally called ' Le Vcou de Louis XIII.;' the figures of Louis XIII. aud Louis XIV., which were on each.side of it until 1831, when they were destroyed, were by Guillaume Coustou and Coysevox respectively. He executed many other distinguished works at Lyou and at Paris, for which he was well rewarded by Louis XIV., aud a small peusiuu was settled upon him by the city of Lyon. He enjoyed two pensions from the crown, amouuting together to 6000 francs. lie died in 1733, having been /arty years a member of the French Academy.
Guthratuee Coustou was born in 1678, and was also the pupil of his uncle Coysevox. lie went likewise to Rome as a pensioner of the French government; but the pension was irregularly paid, and for a maintenance he assisted Lo Gros on his has relief of St. Louis of
°canna. After his return to Paris, Guillaume Coustou executed many excellent works, several of which were for the gardens of Maley, but are now at the Tuileries; others are at Versailles : the two cele brated grooms checking restive horses, somewhat in the actions of the ancient groups of Monte Cavallo, now at the entrance of the Champs Elysees, were at Marty until 1791. Still more celebrated works are the statues of the facade of the Château d'Ean opposite the Palish Royal ; and the more extensive baereliefs of the principal entrance of the Hotel des luvalides. Ile executed also the colossal bronze figure of the river Rhone for the monument of Louis XIV. at Lyou ; the corresponding figure of the Satins" was by Nicholas Coustou, and they are now both preserved iu the town-hall of Lyon • the statue of Louis XIV. wasdestroyed during the revolution. Ile died in 1746, director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The French are not agreed es to the relative merits of these two sculptors, some preferring Nicole!, and others Guillaume : the style of Guillaume varied leas than that of Nicolas from the ancient standard of proper Hens, but they were both more French in their tastes than Greek.
GlTILLAU311: Coeavou the Younger, likewise a distinguished Artist, was the son of the elder Guillaume. Ilo was born at Paris in 1716, obtained also the grand prize of the Academy in sculpture, studied five years in Rome, and died treasurer of the Academy in 1771. Ile designed the sculptures of the front of the church of St. Genevieve, which were removed when that building was converted iuto the Pantheon : they were executed by n sculptor of the name of Dupre.
(De Fontenal, Dietionnaire der Artistes, A.e. ; D'Argenville, Vies des 'concur A rehtteetes 0 Seulpteurs, &c.