Galerie Paul Prouté

Initially trained by his father, himself a sculptor and architect, Edmé Bouchardon was admitted to the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, where he won first prize for sculpture in 1722, and then became a boarder at the Académie de France in Rome. After nine years’ residence in Italy, where his copies of works from Antiquity and the Italian masters were already a great success, he returned to Paris in 1732. The following year, he was admitted to the Académie royale and appointed sculptor to the king.
Renowned by his contemporaries, Bouchardon was entrusted with numerous contracts, including the statues in the church of Saint-Sulpice and the fountain in the rue de Grenelle, considered to be his masterpiece.
Mainly known for his work as a sculptor, Bouchardon was also an excellent draughtsman, and his numerous drawings were collected by the elite of his time. Bouchardon’s graphic work was widely disseminated in Europe through collections of engravings based on his drawings.