La grotte artificielle du château de Dieppe : une oeuvre de Salomon de Caus ?

Abstract

In 2014 the partial vestiges of an artificial grotto with sea-shell decoration were discovered in situ at the Château de Dieppe, a find already announced in 1962 by the recuperation of similar pieces in the backfill in another part of the building. The article summarizes these discoveries, which localize the construction in the north wing of the château, and clarifies certain aspects of the decoration. The materials and ornaments of the fountains, including a small statue in terracotta, offer obvious parallels with the works of Salomon and Isaac de Caus, two hydraulic engineers from Dieppe, who worked in Brussels, Heidelberg and England. The grotto at the Château de Dieppe is perhaps one of the rare traces of their activity in France, which at the moment is unattested in the documents. The patron may be Charles de Beauxoncles, Sieur de Sygognes, one of the governors of the château, who is also known for his taste for splendor.