HIPPOLYTE BONNARDEL, from the Château de Chassignoles de Bonnay to the Villa Medici in Rome

On the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth, presentation of the career and works of the sculptor Hippolyte Bonnardel (1824-1856), winner of the Grand Prix de Rome in 1851, a child of Bonnay who died prematurely during his stay in Rome as a resident at the Villa Médicis.

This youngest member of the Bonnardel family is known locally for a sculpture exhibited in the church of Bonnay and a painting in the church of Saint-Gengoux-le-National, which are only a small part of his work.

This talk will help you understand his career in the historical, artistic and religious context of the 1st half of the 19th century, and you will discover that he also took part in the first Universal Exhibitions in London and Paris, and that some of his other works can be found in prestigious places such as the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Louvre.

The lecture will be preceded by the unveiling of a plaque presenting his Piétà in the church in Bonnay at 4pm.