The Sculptor of Louis XIV’s Glory In the grand, sun-drenched era of the French Baroque, few names resonate with the same sense of gilded prestige as Philippe Caffiéri. Born in Rome in 1634 to an aristocratic lineage with deep Neapolitan roots, Caffiéri was a man of two worlds, bridging the classical traditions of Italy with the burgeoning opulence of the French court. His journey from the shadow of the Vatican—where he briefly served Pope Alexander VII—to the heart of Versailles is a testament to the era's fluid movement of talent under the patronage of powerful figures like Cardinal Mazarin…