Jean-Joseph Vinache

Who was Jean-Joseph Vinache?

Jean-Joseph Vinache was a French sculptor who served as court sculptor to Kurfürst Frederick Augustus I, Elector of Saxony, whose equestrian monument, the Goldener Reiter, the "gilded Horseman", is one of the most familiar sights of Dresden, Germany, though its sculptor is rarely noted.

Vinache was born in Paris, the son of a bronzefounder. His skill brought him to the attention of an agent of the Elector, "Augustus the Strong", who called him to Dresden to complete an unfinished equestrian sculpture that had been left by the late sculptor François Coudray. A model in gilded plaster and a bronze reduction preserve the design of this scheme: Augustus, now King of Poland is shown in Roman armour, gripping the baton of power, on a rearing horse, stabilized by a massive tail. The bronze-casting was undertaken in 1733, at the cannon foundry of the Augsburg craftsman Ludwig Wiedemann, established at Dresden-Friedrichstadt. Construction of the high pedestal designed by architect Zacharias Longuelune was initiated with a foundation stone, 12 August 1735, but construction was delayed. The completed sculpture was unveiled 26 November 1736.