Public Art Details
King Saint Louis IX
Artist: Gary Mauro
Region: Saint Louis University
Location: Ward 19 - Green area at the intersection of Lindell and Olive
Address: 221 N Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63108
Artist Bio:
b. 1944
Dimensions: 15'
Year completed: 2000
Material: Bronze
Owner: St. Louis University
Description:
King Saint Louis IX was an influential patron of the arts who most likely ordered the production of the Morgan Bible, a masterpiece of medieval painting. He ruled during the so-called "golden century of Saint Louis," when the kingdom of France was politically and economically at its height in Europe. At this time, France had the largest army, the most wealth, and La Sorbonne, the most important cultural and intellectual center of Europe. Beyond this, Saint Louis was seen as the perfect Christian prince, benevolent and fair, so much that he was often asked to mediate disputes between other rulers. Saint Louis conducted two crusades, which contributed to his prestige despite their lack of success.
Mauro, a Colorado native and present-day resident of Santa Fe, draws influence from his identification with the southwest, and from his time as a young man in New York City, where he befriended the modernist Willem de Kooning. A bronze sculpture, Nouvella, and an oil painting, Nude, also by Mauro, are on display in the Père Marquette Gallery in DuBourg Hall on the campus of St. Louis University.
