Génie conduisant un dragon marin, Lead sculpture in Versailles, France
Génie conduisant un dragon marin is a lead sculpture in Versailles, France. It shows a child leaning forward with one arm raised above a dragon-like head with open mouth and visible teeth, modelled in relief and in the round.
Edmé Bouchardon made the sculpture between 1736 and 1740 for the Neptune Basin at Versailles. It was placed on its base by 1741, later bronzed, and restored in the late 19th century during work on the basin.
The work is one of two matching groups that frame the Neptune Basin, each showing a child guiding a sea dragon. People often pause here while exploring the garden paths, and the figures are part of the formal design that leads the eye toward the water.
The sculpture sits at the edge of the Neptune Basin in the gardens of Versailles. Visitors can walk around the basin to see it from different angles, and the area is accessible on foot from the main palace.
The sculpture is signed and dated by Bouchardon on the lead itself, a detail that many visitors miss. It was originally cast from old lead delivered to the artist in 1737, which adds a layer of material history to the piece.
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