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Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre

Sébastien Leclerc , 1677

Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre, by Sébastien Leclerc, 1677
Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre, by Sébastien Leclerc, 1677

Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre is a print by the Baroque artist Sébastien Leclerc. It dates from 1677 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.
2021.168
Credit line
L. E. Holden Fund

About this work

Overview

Sébastien Leclerc’s etching records a phase of construction on the Louvre’s main entrance façade. The image captures the logistical effort required to move and install a single stone slab measuring roughly sixty feet in length, illustrating the combination of ground‑level hauling and elevated lifting.

Subject & Meaning

The print focuses on the machinery and labor involved in placing the massive stone that would cover both sides of the pediment. In the foreground a wheeled device pulls the slab across the ground, while in the background a network of wooden cranes and scaffolding raises the block into position atop the roof.

Technique & Style

Executed as an etching, Leclerc renders the scene with precise line work, emphasizing the geometry of ropes, pulleys and structural timber. The composition balances detailed foreground activity with a broader view of the site, functioning almost as a technical illustration of 17th‑century construction methods.

History & Provenance

Leclerc was one of several artists employed by King Louis XIV to document the monarch’s extensive building projects and art acquisitions. This print, produced as part of that royal visual program, served both as a record of the Louvre’s expansion and as a visual testament to the king’s patronage of architecture and engineering.

Le Pavillion de Mlle. et une partie du Louvre
Le Pavillion de Mlle. et une partie du Louvre, Charles Meryon

Artist & collection

Portrait of Sébastien Leclerc

Artist

Sébastien Leclerc

Sébastien Leclerc or Le Clerc ( 26 September 1637— 25 October 1714) was an artist from the French province of the Three Bishoprics.

VISUALLY SIMILAR

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SAME SUBJECT

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This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre?

Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre was painted by Sébastien Leclerc in 1677.

Where can I see Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre?

Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre?

Representation des Machines qui ont servi à eslever les deux grandes pierres qui couvrent le fronton de la principale entrée du Louvre is associated with Baroque.