Éphèbe soutenant le plafond
Stucco in the castles of France and Italy are often overlooked and admired in their overall rather than in details and that is somewhat normal because they mostly are decorative pieces around sculpture and paintings of greater importance. They are often less finely crafted and more of a coarse finish compare to sculptures made of most noble materials such as marble or bronze. Stucco are made of lime mortar, they are placed at the same levels as the woodwork and frescos. In France, it is François 1er who introduced the stucco in his great gallery at the Château de Fontainebleau. See more examples of stucco (in french).
When we look closer we can find some of them to be small treasure, often very funny, like these two youths supporting the ceiling on their shoulders… Both seem to be grounded and their positions seem rather uncomfortable. Of course the story does not say why they found themselves in this position… the more plausible idea would be the lack of space for a more proper position or else probably to respect the harmony of the room… do not forget that they are primarily decorative art.
Éphèbe soutenant le plafond
Éphèbe soutenant le plafond