Thursday, June 07, 2012

One day in the French King’s sculptor’s studio

Sculptor: Est-ce que (then, lapsing into English) the horse? 

Assistant: Oui (same) it is. 

S: A bit on the chubby side isn’t it? The stomach nearly hits the floor. 

A: I think it is having trouble breathing. 

S: Well, we can’t do anything about it now. Bring in the King’s stunt double, I just hope I have enough clay. 

(The King’s double arrives and is seated on the King’s horse) 

S: I said we wanted someone who looked like the King, not someone twice his size… the horse is going to give. 

A: (Looks around helplessly) 

S: For god’s sake, prop it up or the whole thing will go critical. 

A: With what, Monsieur? (lapsing back for a moment) 

S: I don’t know, a bucket, a pile of bricks, that tree stump over there. 

And that’s what they did. 

Image: replacement for the original bronze statue of Louis XIII that was cast in 1639