Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (26 January 1714 – 20 August 1785
) was a French
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
.
Life
Pigalle was born in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, the seventh child of a carpenter. Although he failed to obtain the ''
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
'', after a severe struggle he entered the ''
Académie Royale
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
'' and became one of the most popular sculptors of his day.
His earlier work, such as ''Child with Cage'' (model at
Sèvres
Sèvres (, ) is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, Île-de-France region. The commune, which had a population of 23,251 as of 2018, is known for ...
) and ''Mercury Fastening his Sandals'' (
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, and lead cast in
Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...
), is less commonplace than that of his more mature years, but his nude statue of
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...
, dated 1776 (initially in the
Institut de France
The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute ...
, purchased by the Louvre in 1962), and his tombs of
Comte d'Harcourt (c. 1764) (
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
) and of
Marshal Saxe
Maurice, Count of Saxony (german: Hermann Moritz von Sachsen, french: Maurice de Saxe; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus I ...
, completed in 1777 (Saint-Thomas Lutheran church,
Strasbourg), are good examples of French
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...
in the 18th century.
Pigalle taught the sculptor
Louis-Philippe Mouchy
Louis-Philippe Mouchy (31 March 1734 – 10 December 1801) was a French sculptor.
Early years
Louis-Philippe Mouchy was born in 1734.
He was a student of Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, and married Pigalle's niece.
Mouchy followed Pigalle's style closely ...
, who married his niece, and who closely copied Pigalle's style. He is also said to have taught the painter
Madeleine-Élisabeth Pigalle
Madeleine-Élisabeth Pigalle, sometimes known as Madelon (1751–1827), was a French painter.
Born in Sens, Pigalle was distantly related to Jean-Baptiste Pigalle; he is said to have provided her with lessons upon visiting her hometown in 1766 a ...
, believed to be a distant relative from
Sens.
Profile of Madeleine-Élisabeth Pigalle
at the ''Dictionary of Pastellists Before 1800''.
His name is most commonly known today because of the Pigalle red-light district in Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, located around the square of the same name.
Pigalle died in Paris on 20 August 1785.
Monumental works
File:Mercury Pigalle Louvre RF3023.jpg, Mercury putting on his running shoes (Louvre) (1753)
File:Paris 06 - St Sulpice chap V 02.jpg, Chapel of the Virgin, Church of Saint-Sulpice
, image = Paris Saint-Sulpice Fassade 4-5 A.jpg
, image_size =
, pushpin map = Paris
, pushpin label position =
, coordinates =
, location = Place Saint-Sulpice 6th arrond ...
, Paris
File:Voltaire nu 2.jpg, Voltaire nude (The Louvre, 1777)
File:Strasbourg-F 005.jpg, Tomb of Maurice de Saxe, Saint Thomas Lutheran Church, Strasbourg (1777)
Busts
File:Portrait of Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778)) LACMA M.78.7 (1 of 6).jpg, Portrait of Voltaire (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)
File:Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764) MET DP221962.jpg, Madame de Pompadour, Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, New York (1748–51)
File:Pigalle - Autoportrait 01.jpg, Self-portrait (1770s, (Louvre)
References
;Attribution
*
External links
*
Virtual Gallery
*
1714 births
1785 deaths
French sculptors
French male sculptors
Artists from Paris
{{France-sculptor-stub