Mausoleum of the Maréchal de Saxe

For about twenty years Pigalle worked on the tomb of Maurice of Saxony, his finest accomplishment. The tomb avoided the common pitfalls of compositions of works on that scale by subtly organizing all the figures around the movement of the hero. In an inventive funeral march, the heroic marshal calmly descends a set of steps toward death and glory, flanked by allegories (Hercules, France, Love) and symbols of power (lion, leopard). Pigalle managed to revitalize all the elements in this superbly orchestrated ensemble.