This is a list of some of the works by the French artist Alexandre Falguière.
Biography
Falguière was born in Toulouse on 7 September 1831 into a modest home, his father working as a mason. His father did, however manage to put him into the Toulouse École des Beaux-Arts where he studied both painting and sculpture and in 1853 was awarded the Toulouse municipal prize for sculpture, which allowed him to study at the Beaux-Arts in Paris, with Toulouse making a contribution towards payment of his fees and expenses. Once he arrived in Paris he worked in the studio of Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse so that he could earn some extra cash to supplement the Toulouse funds and then moved to Jean-Louis Chenillon's studio. In 1854 he finally entered the École des Beaux-Arts and there won the Prix de Rome in 1859. He was then 23 years of age, so very near the Prix de Rome age limit. Winning this prestigious prize not only gave him a welcome bursary and access to further funds, but allowed him to travel to and study in Rome and whilst there he executed several pieces. The first piece he sent back to France was a bas-relief entitled "Des Joueurs de cerceau" and then "Thésée enfant", a work in marble and his first work accepted by the Salon. He also completed in Rome the work "Omphale" worked in marble, and "Nuccia la trastecerina". both of which made the Salon, the latter being purchased by the State. It was however his 1864 submission to the Salon called "le Vainqueur au combat de coqs" which was to make his reputation. When he returned to Paris from Rome in 1867, his work was already well known and highly regarded and he sealed this with his Salon submission "Tracisius". Now from his small studio in the rue de l'Ouest, later called the rue d'Assas, he produced work after work. In 1868 he was awarded the Medal of Honour at the Paris Salon and was appointed Officer of the Légion of Honor in 1878, in 1889 becoming a "commandeur" of that order. He had been made a member of the Académie française in 1882 and in the same year was made professor at the École des Beaux-arts. In 1870, with Paris under siege by the Prussian army, Alexandre Falguière enrolled in the National Guard and it was at this time that he made a sculpture from snow called "La Résistance" a work celebrated by the poets Théodore de Banville and Théophile Gautier, both fellow members of the guard. The 1880s saw a huge demand for statues, France being gripped by "statuomanie" and Falguière was swamped by commissions. By the end of his life Falguière was running five studios and had many pupils including Idrac, Injalbert, Marqueste, Théodore-Rivière and Antonin Mercié. His output was prolific, many of his compositions being repeated in various materials and sizes. Many of his original plaster works were cast in bronze or sculpted in marble so that the same work can be seen in various locations, albeit in different materials and of different dimensions and many of his maquettes are preserved in museums.
From 8 February to 8 March 1902, a major exhibition of Falguière's work was held at the École National des Beaux-Arts in Paris and Falguière's widow asked G Larroumet, a long time friend of Falguière and permanent secretary of the École, to write a preface in the exhibition catalogue. We are fortunate that this can be read on-line and some of the information in the catalogue is used in this article.
Early works
Works located in Paris
Works in Musée d'Orsay
There are many Falguiere works in Paris' Musée d'Orsay. These include:
The wrestlers
An 1875 painting.
Eve
This composition depicting Eve and a serpent was completed around 1880. The museum hold a plaster version. A large version in marble was shown at the Paris Salon of 1880 and this is now held in Copenhagen's Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.
Baronne Daumesnil
This marble bust dates to 1879. The Musée d'Orsay also hold the plaster model and a version in terracotta can be seen in the Musée of Périgord, Périgueux, and a bronze version is held by Bayonne's Musée Bonnat. The work has two inscriptions: "DONNE A LA FRANCE PAR SA PETITE FILLE / LA VICOMTESSE THERESE DE CLAIRVAL NEE MORIZOT" and "ANNE FORTUNEE LEONIE GARAT BARONNE DAUMESNIL / SURINTENDANTE DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR". Until 1891 the work was held in the collection of the Vicomtesse Thérèse de Clairval, née Morizot and was then presented as a gift to the French nation. From 1891 to 1916 it was held by the Musée du Luxembourg in Paris, and from 1916 to 1956 was held by the Musée du Louvre, Paris. In 1986 it was taken into the Musée d'Orsay.
La danseuse
A marble version was shown at the Salon in 1896 and at the 1902 Falguière retrospective