Falconet, Étienne Maurice

Falconet, Étienne Maurice (ātyĕn` môrēs` fälkōnā`), 1716–91, French sculptor; pupil of Lemoyne. Under Louis XV he became director of sculpture at the Sèvres porcelain factory, where many small reproductions of his work were made. Versatile in his expression, he combined baroque and classical elements. His consummate skill is revealed in his equestrian statue of Peter the Great (1769) for St. Petersburg. Six volumes of his urbane and erudite writings were published in 1781.