David Vainqueur de Goliath by Marius Jean Antonin Mercié

Marius Jean Antonin Mercié
French (1845-1916)

David vainqueur de Goliath
(David, Victor of Goliath)

Signed “A. Mercié” (on base)
Bronze

This incredible bronze sculpture, entitled David vainqueur de Goliath, depicts the Biblical story of a young David’s final triumph over the giant Goliath. It was created by celebrated French sculptor Marius Jean Antonin Mercié, and it earned the artist a first-class medal at the Paris Salon of 1872. The work also earned him the prestigious Cross of the Legion d'Honneur, the only artist to ever receive that distinction while still a student. 

Originally from Toulouse, Mercié was an accomplished sculptor who studied under François Jouffroy and Alexandre Falguiére at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, winning the Prix de Rome in 1868. This award allowed him to study in Italy, which is where he modeled David vainqueur de Goliath, which would become one of his most popular and recognizable works. It made an extremely bold statement that begged comparison with seminal works of the Renaissance by Verrocchio, Donatello and Michelangelo. Mercié's youthful hero, however, could never be mistaken for a Renaissance work, with its overtones of Orientalism. The artist even includes the name David in Hebrew letters within the ornamentation on the base. The sculpture's success was immediate, and an example of this work was commissioned by the French state and exhibited at the World Exhibitions in Vienna in 1873 and Paris in 1878. Today, that example resides in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, and another casting from Barbedienne resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Early success in his career brought several private and public commissions, and he produced many monuments and ornamental sculptures from his studios. Among these commissions were a large monument for the tomb of King Louis-Phillipe and Queen Marie-Amelie and the figure of Justice for Paris' Town Hall. He also regularly exhibited at the Paris Salon until 1912 in both bronze and marble. Named president of the Societé des Artistes Français in 1913, Mercié became one of the few sculptors to attain the rank of Grand Officer in the Legion d'Honneur. In 1880, he began to practice painting as well, but it was his work as a sculptor that continued to garner the most distinctions and honors. He was appointed Professor of Drawing and Sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts and was elected a member of the Académie Française in 1891.

The base marked “A. MERCIE” and “F. BARBEDIENNE, Fondeur”.

Late 19th century

On base: 46" high x 20" wide x 14" deep (116.84 x 50.8 x 35.56 cm)