Resumen de Un dessin inédit de Joseph Chinard pour son projet de monument à Pierre du Terrail, dit Bayard, en 1787
In 1787, the young artist Joseph Chinard was at work on the plans of a monument in memory of the Chevalier Bayard for the city of Grenoble. The revolutionary events initiated in nearby Vizille, prevented the realization of this funerary monument to the glory of a hero of the monarchy. The "modello" in terra cotta sculpted by Chinard is known, as is a drawing in a private collection, however the rediscovery of a large size drawing, in the Musée du Grand Curtius in Liège, sheds new light on the creative process of the artist. By comparing the figures of Bayard and that of François I, as well as the allegories and the scenes from history in the different versions, the evolutions become clearer and can be linked to the ensemble of the political iconography of the time, from Augustin Pajou to Jacques Louis David. The only monumental drawing by Chinard actually in a public collection, it allows us to analyze the young artist's style, after his very successful trip to Rome and before his career in Napoleonic society.
