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 and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 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 i ...

) and ''Mercury Fastening his Sandals'' (

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, 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 Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his ...

, 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 m ...

, 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 Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

), 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 sc ...

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 Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km from Paris. Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second city of the d ...

.Profile of Madeleine-Élisabeth Pigalle
at the ''Dictionary of Pastellists Before 1800''. His name is most commonly known today because of the

Pigalle Pigalle may refer to: Places ;Paris, France *Quartier Pigalle, an area in Paris around the Place Pigalle, on the border between the 9th and the 18th arrondissements *Place Pigalle, public square in the Quartier Pigalle at the foot of the Montmartre ...

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

, 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 Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (, ; 29 December 1721 – 15 April 1764), commonly known as Madame de Pompadour, was a member of the French court. She was the official chief mistress of King Louis XV from 1745 to 1751, and rema ...

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