The sculpture was commissioned by François I, executed in Cellini's workshop at the Hôtel de Nesle (adjacent to the Tour de Nesle) in Paris, sculpted with the help of Thomas Dambry, Pierre Bontemps and Laurent Mailleu, and assembled with the help of foundrymen Pierre Villain and Guillaume Saligot.[1] Originally intended to be placed in the tympanum in the arch above the entrance of the Porte Dorée ("Golden Gate") at the Château de Fontainebleau, it was never installed there, but instead was used by the architect Philibert de L'Orme, who put it above the entrance gate (built c. 1552) of the Château d'Anet,[3] where the nymph became identified with Diana, the goddess of the hunt, representing the owner of the château, Diane de Poitiers,[4] and the stag with her lover Henri II of France.
The relief was seized on 23 March 1794, at the time of the French Revolution, and moved from Anet to the Nesle depot.[1] According to the French historian Maurice Roy [fr], it was initially intended for the Musée des Monuments Français in Paris and was later replaced in Anet by a painted plaster cast.[5] On 23 February 1796, the Conservatoire des Arts decided it should be moved to the small courtyard of the Louvre, but in 1797, when it was actually moved to the Louvre, it was placed in the gallery of the museum.[1]
After the sculpture's restoration in 1811 by the father and son founder-chasers (French: ciseleurs) Delafontaine, it was installed by the architect Pierre-François Fontaine over the Caryatides Balcony in the Salle des Caryatides of the Lescot Wing, where it remained until 1847, when it was replaced with a cast by Antoine-Louis Barye and transferred to the Sculptures rooms. It was later moved to a landing of the Mollien Staircase above the ground floor of the Denon Wing of the Louvre, where it is currently on display.[1]
- The Nymph of Fontainebleau and its replicas
Replica at the
Château d'Anet
Long view showing its location above the entrance gate at Anet
Replica in the Salle des Caryatides of the Louvre
Long view showing the
Nymph above the balcony supported by the four
caryatids sculpted by
Jean Goujon
Long view showing its location on the Mollien Stairs of the
Louvre
Close-up view of the original bronze by Cellini