About
Étienne Maurice Falconet, born in Paris in 1716, was one of the most renowned French sculptors of the 18th century. Trained under Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne the Younger, he was received into the Royal Academy in 1754. He directed the sculpture workshop at the Sèvres manufactory from 1757 to 1766, where he revitalized the production of biscuit figurines. Invited by Catherine the Great to Russia, he created the famous Bronze Horseman, an equestrian statue of Peter the Great, unveiled in Saint Petersburg in 1782. Falconet also wrote essays on art and corresponded with Diderot. He died in Paris in 1791.
* 1716-12-01 — † 1791-01-24
Major works
- L'Amour (1757)marble sculpture
- La Nymphe descendant au bain (1757)marble sculpture
- Le Cavalier de bronze (1782)equestrian bronze statue
- Réflexions sur la sculpture (1768)essay
- Observations sur la statue de Marc-Aurèle (1771)essay
Key milestones
- 1754Received into the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture with Milo of Croton.
- 1757Appointed director of the sculpture workshop at the Sèvres manufactory.
- 1782Unveiling of the Bronze Horseman in Saint Petersburg.
Themes
RococoNeoclassicismMonumental sculptureArt and theoryImperial patronage
Sources: britannica.com · getty.edu · royalacademy.org.uk