Louis XIV between Louis XIII and Anne of Austria

Simon Guillain was one of the founders of the Academy in 1648. The statues from the monument of the Pont au Change constitute the most important examples of the artist’s work. They were commissioned by the City of Paris to commemorate the presentation of the future Louis XIV to the people on April 21st, 1643. Set up at the entrance to the bridge, the group represents Louis XIV as a child, between Anne of Austria and Louis XIII. The figures were later removed to the Louvre. The style is influenced by the art of Germain Pilon and combines a rigorous realism with full monumental forms.