Etienne Maurice Falconet , is a Sculpteur French academician, (Paris, February 1st 1716 - Paris, January 24th 1791). Influenced by the school Baroque of which it can be regarded as a Master, it remains, under certain aspects, a sculptor Néoclassique. Its most famous work is the statue equestrian of Pierre the Large, known as Rider of bronze to Saint-Pétersbourg, in Russia.

Biography

Born in a modest Parisian family resulting from the Bugey, he learns the frame first of all, but the woodcarvings which he creates draw the attention of the Sculpteur Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne which takes it under its wing. Falconet can thus develop its gifts, it is noticed by the marchioness of Pompadour which orders several œuvres.
to him Thanks to its Milon of Crotona , it is named in 1754 member of the royal Académie of painting and sculpture which, with the fusion of the royal Académie of Music and the royal Académie of architecture, will become in 1816 the Académie of the Art schools of the Institute of France.
The various sculptures which it presents to the Living rooms 1755 and 1757 propel it like the sculptor more for the time. Of 1757 with 1766, it occupies the function of director of the workshops of sculpture to the royal manufacture of S2evres china where it takes an active part in the success of the " cookie of Sèvres" , name which indicates the sculptures of Sevres (sculptures in the round, low-reliefs), voluntarily and generally left out of cookie, i.e. without enamel and decoration. Diderot entrusts the drafting of the article to him Sculpture of the Encyclopédie.
In 1766, on the recommendation of Nickel silver Grimm and Diderot, it is destined for Saint-Pétersbourg by Catherine II of Russia to work with the equestrian Statue of Pierre Large the of Russia, works gigantic which cost 12 years of work. On its return in France, it was named vice-chancellor of the royal Académie of painting and sculpture, and carried out new masterpieces: Brace and David , for the church Saint-Roch, with Paris, Pygmalion , Alexandre , the Winter , the Melancholy , Love threatening , etc

It published Réflexions on the sculpture , 1761, and some other writings which all were joined together in 6 volumes in-8, Lausanne, 1781.

He was the Master and the father-in-law of the sculptor Marie-Anne Collot, who carved his portrait, today with the museum of the Art schools of Nancy.

Famous works

• Milon of Crotona , 1754, (Museum of Louvre).
• the Annunciation 1756 colossal group out of white marble, carried out for the frontage of the Saint-Roch church in Paris; this work disappeared with the French revolution.
• Christ with the Mount of Olives , 1757, church Saint-Roch, Paris.
• Love threatening , presented to the living room of 1757, marble (Museum of Louvre; another specimen with the Rijksmuseum) - a specimen with the Museum of the Hermitage with Saint-Pétersbourg
• Group out of marble Pygmalion and Galatée exposed to the Living room of 1763 (Museum of Louvre).
• the monumental equestrian statue of Pierre I {{er}}, called the bronze Rider. It is an order of Catherine II of Russia to which Falconet worked during 12 years, in collaboration with its future daughter-in-law Marie-Anne Collot. She is set up on enormous a Monolithe of granite.

External bonds

• Historical of the royal S2evres china manufacture
• national Manufacture of Sevres
• Its works with the Museum of Louvre
• Etienne Maurice Falconet in Artcyclopedia

Partial source

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