Nicolas Pineau (1684-1754) : un sculpteur rocaille entre Paris et Saint-Pétersbourg

Exhibition at the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, 12 March - 18 May 2025

Central to the development of the Rococo style, Nicolas Pineau (1684-1754) has nevertheless only been the subject of occasional studies. His contemporaries said that this sculptor and ornamentalist had invented ‘contrast in ornamentation’. An adept of measured asymmetry, subtly playing with fullness and emptiness, he distinguished himself in fields as diverse as woodwork, facade sculpture, architecture, prints, furniture and goldsmiths‘ and silversmiths’ work. Called to St Petersburg by Tsar Peter I in 1716, he worked on the decoration of Peterhof. Returning to Paris in 1728, he worked for the Parisian nobility and for Louis XV, while sending models to Germany and Russia.

This book, which is both an exhibition catalogue and a monograph, is based on extensive archival research and on the publication of the collection of drawings - mainly held by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs - from the artist's studio and his descendants, Dominique, his son, who was also an ornamental sculptor, and the architect François Nicolas, his grandson. An international group of researchers has produced a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of Nicolas Pineau's work, combining thematic essays, notes on all his projects and a catalogue of over six hundred drawings.