GIUSTI (GIUSTO, JUSTE), Italian family of sculptors, active in France

The real name of this Florentine family of sculptors was Betti. They came from the village of San Martino a Mensola, near Florence. They were quarry owners at Carrara as well as carvers, Giusto Betti, a sculptor who died in 1486, had three sons. The brothers Antonio (Antoine), Giovanni (Jean) and Andrea (André) came to France from Italy in 1504 or 1505 and settled in Tours. They changed their name to Juste and built up an extensive practice in tomb-making and monumental sculpture. They formed a dynasty of sculptors lasting till after the middle of the 16th century. Jean Juste II (1510-c. 1579) was the son of Giovanni (Jean I), Just de Juste (c. 1505-c. 1559), sculptor and etcher was the son of Antonio.

The first work which can be connected with the family is the tomb of Thomas James in the cathedral of Dol, finished in 1507, which is an early example of Italian decoration in France. The most important work of the brothers is the tomb of Louis XII at Saint-Denis.




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