François-Frédéric Lemot was one of the great French Neoclassical sculptors.
Awarded the Prix de Rome in 1790, he put his talent at the service of Napoleon I.
This sculpture is “in the round” which means it was made to be seen from all sides. Initially, it was intended to be a copy of the Apollo Belvedere, a famous Greek sculpture representing the god walking with his arm raised and almost certainly holding a bow. But the commission transformed into an Apollo Musician, a more propitious theme than the original one for the Imperial Conservatory of Music and Declamation in Paris. However, Lemot did not forget his ancient model. He depicted the larger than life god naked with his left leg bent backwards in a contrapposto and his right arm raised in the air.
Notice how the artist has sublimated his athletic body, dressed in a military cloak or chlamys and simple sandals. Apollo’s abundant hair falling down in long undulating locks and topped with a laurel crown, amplifies the divine beauty of his face. His hand is resting on a lyre, the emblematic symbol of the god of music, song and the arts.
When he died in 1827, Lemot had not finished his sculpture. The last blow of the chisel was made by his pupil, Jean-Pierre Cortot. The visit continues in the north wing of the museum. To get there, work your way back and go through the town hall gardens.