Design for a Token: Bâtiments du Roi, 1748

Art Historical Context

This red chalk drawing by Edme Bouchardon, created in 1748, served as a preparatory design for an official token issued by the Bâtiments du Roi, the French royal office responsible for the king’s buildings, gardens, and artistic patronage under Louis XV. Bouchardon, celebrated for his elegant neoclassical sculptures and medallic work, skillfully rendered the circular composition—measuring about eight inches across—in sanguine chalk, a medium prized for its warm tonal range and precision in capturing light and form. The design features allegorical male figures with harps, evoking themes of har...

About the Artist

Edme Bouchardon · 1698–1762

Born 29 May 1698; died 27 July 1762. Bouchardon was a student of Guillaume Coustou, and won the prix de Rome in 1722. He spent ten years (1722-1732) in Rome, Italy working on various projects for Pope Clement XII. In 1732 Bouchardon was recalled to Paris and named sculptor to the king. Bouchardon became a professor at the Académie Royale in 1746. He worked on an equestrian monument of Louis XV, Ki...