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Lot Essay
Atlas, Titan dans le mythe fondateur de la mythologie grecque, fut condamné à porter la sphère terrestre pour l’éternité sur ses épaules. On en trouve dès l’Antiquité des représentations, notamment le célèbre Atlas Farnèse, copie romaine du IIe siècle d’une sculpture hellénistique conservée au musée archéologique de Naples (inv. 6374). Les quatre atlantes Albani antiques aujourd’hui au musée du Louvre (inv. 0115 à 0118) servirent également de modèle aux représentations qui se multiplièrent à partir de la Renaissance. Sous le règne de Louis XVI, deux globes terrestre et céleste, réalisés par Pierre Lartigue et Louis-Pierre Florimont Lennel en 1777 et offerts au roi en 1778, sont placés dans sa bibliothèque au château de Versailles où ils sont toujours en place (inv. V 5080 et V 5261). La figure d’Atlas debout et la tête penchée vers l’avant, est proche de notre modèle. La fin du XVIIIe siècle et le XIXe siècle virent également la réalisation d'Atlas supportant des sphères armillaires ptolémaïques de dimensions plus réduites, tel que l’exemplaire conservé au musée du Louvre issu de l’ancienne collection Nicolas Landau (inv. OA 10870), et également la production d’Atlas afin de soutenir des globes anciens comme le montre le globe terrestre de Giuseppe de Rossi du XVIIe siècle supporté par un Atlas datant probablement du XIXe siècle (musée du Louvre, inv. OA 10869).
Notre Atlas a fait partie des collections de François Catroux. Décorateur et architecte d’intérieur, François Catroux (1936-2020) est le petit-fils du général et ambassadeur Georges Catroux. Il réalisa de nombreux décors et aménagements pour d’importants clients à partir des années 1960 et fut l’époux de Betty Saint, muse d’Yves Saint Laurent.
Atlas, the Titan in the founding myth of Greek mythology, was condemned to carry the earth's sphere on his shoulders for eternity. Representations of him have been found since Antiquity, notably the famous Atlas Farnese, a 2nd century Roman copy of a Hellenistic sculpture kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples (inv. 6374). The four antique Albani Atlantes now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. 0115 to 0118) also served as a model for the representations that proliferated from the Renaissance onwards. During the reign of Louis XVI, two terrestrial and celestial globes, made by Pierre Lartigue and Louis-Pierre Florimont Lennel in 1777 and presented to the king in 1778, were placed in his library at the Château de Versailles, where they are still in place (inv. V 5080 and V 5261). The figure of Atlas standing with his head bent forward is close to our model. The end of the 18th century and the 19th century also saw the multiplication of Atlas supporting smaller Ptolemaic armillary spheres, such as the one kept in the Louvre from the former Nicolas Landau collection (inv. OA 10870), and also the production of Atlas to support ancient globes as shown by the 17th century globe of Giuseppe de Rossi supported by an atlas probably dating from the 19th century (Louvre, inv. OA 10869).
Our Atlas was part of the collection of François Catroux. Decorator and interior architect François Catroux (1936-2020) is the grandson of the general and ambassador Georges Catroux. He created numerous decorations and fittings for important clients from the 1960s onwards and was the husband of Betty Saint, muse of Yves Saint Laurent.
Notre Atlas a fait partie des collections de François Catroux. Décorateur et architecte d’intérieur, François Catroux (1936-2020) est le petit-fils du général et ambassadeur Georges Catroux. Il réalisa de nombreux décors et aménagements pour d’importants clients à partir des années 1960 et fut l’époux de Betty Saint, muse d’Yves Saint Laurent.
Atlas, the Titan in the founding myth of Greek mythology, was condemned to carry the earth's sphere on his shoulders for eternity. Representations of him have been found since Antiquity, notably the famous Atlas Farnese, a 2nd century Roman copy of a Hellenistic sculpture kept in the Archaeological Museum of Naples (inv. 6374). The four antique Albani Atlantes now in the Musée du Louvre (inv. 0115 to 0118) also served as a model for the representations that proliferated from the Renaissance onwards. During the reign of Louis XVI, two terrestrial and celestial globes, made by Pierre Lartigue and Louis-Pierre Florimont Lennel in 1777 and presented to the king in 1778, were placed in his library at the Château de Versailles, where they are still in place (inv. V 5080 and V 5261). The figure of Atlas standing with his head bent forward is close to our model. The end of the 18th century and the 19th century also saw the multiplication of Atlas supporting smaller Ptolemaic armillary spheres, such as the one kept in the Louvre from the former Nicolas Landau collection (inv. OA 10870), and also the production of Atlas to support ancient globes as shown by the 17th century globe of Giuseppe de Rossi supported by an atlas probably dating from the 19th century (Louvre, inv. OA 10869).
Our Atlas was part of the collection of François Catroux. Decorator and interior architect François Catroux (1936-2020) is the grandson of the general and ambassador Georges Catroux. He created numerous decorations and fittings for important clients from the 1960s onwards and was the husband of Betty Saint, muse of Yves Saint Laurent.