Bouchardon, Edmé

Edmé Bouchardon, (born May 29, 1698, Chaumont, France—died July 27, 1762, Paris), French sculptor who was a precursor of Neoclassicism. His statues are characterized by a skillful combination of classical Roman techniques and contemporary motifs.

Bouchardon studied with Guillaume Coustou and in 1722 won the Prix de Rome. For the next 10 years he lived in Rome, executing marble replicas of antique statues as well as numerous portrait busts.

Upon returning to France he became sculptor to Louis XV and produced significant work for the royal residence. Though he began his career as an artist committed to classicism, Bouchardon did produce work with Rococo characteristics. The “Fountain of the Seasons” (1739–45) in the rue de Grenelle in Paris is an elaborate, two-storied architectural piece decorated with reliefs and statues of the seasons and a personification of Paris. The putti ornamentation shows the influence of the Rococo. “Cupid Cutting His Bow from the Club of Hercules” (1739–50) is a classical piece now exhibited at the Louvre. Bouchardon’s bronze equestrian statue of Louis XV (1748–62) once stood in the centre of the Place de la Concorde but was destroyed during the French Revolution.