Louis Ardisson (1848-1930) was a French sculptor during the second half of the nineteenth century. After having received conventional training at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-arts (School of Fine Arts) of Lyon along with painter Alexandre Bonnardel (1867-1942), he specialized in the production of boxwood and marble low-reliefs. He often represented themes from Antiquity and mythology, and his creations were inspired by artists such as François Boucher, Fragonard, or Charles Coypel. He chose to follow in the footsteps of the great masters, and his artwork belonged to the “Great Genre” according to Félibien's (1619-1695) classification.
The sculptor would exhibit many works in the official Salons, and in 1878, he presented Vénus chez Vulcain (Venus and Vulcan) at the World Fair in Paris. This low-relief, inspired by a monumental painting by Boucher, earned Ardisson a bronze medal.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) discovered the sculptor's work, which was soon highly esteemed by famous interior designer Jules Allard. Both Ardisson and Allard had a certain taste for eighteenth-century flamboyant art : their two styles converged. Ardisson participated in many of the decorator's projects, particularly those for the sumptuous mansions built in the United States for the wealthiest families of the time. Together, they created a spectacular fireplace representing Neptune for Edward Julius Berwind's estate on Fifth Avenue, in New York City. They also decorated the luxurious Marble House in Newport for the Vanderbilts.
