Pigalle, Jean-Baptiste

Pigalle, Jean-Baptiste

(born Jan. 26, 1714, Paris, France—died Aug. 21, 1785, Paris) French sculptor. Born into a family of master carpenters, he began training as a sculptor in Paris at 18 and then studied in Rome (1736–40). Returning to France, he modeled the first version of his famous Mercury Fastening His Sandals, which in a later version won him admission to the Royal Academy (1744). The statue became so popular that in 1748 Louis XV commissioned a life-size marble version to present to Frederick II of Prussia. He was also noted for his portrait sculptures. His Nude Voltaire (1776), an anatomically realistic rendering of the aged philosopher, caused a furor when it was first shown.