Marie-Anne Collot

Marie Anne Collot (* 1748 in Paris, † February 24, 1821 in Nancy) was a French sculptor.

Life

About Marie -Anne Collots origin and childhood is not much known. Denis Diderot stated in 1769 to have found out that Marie Anne Collot was an orphan. In 1763, already 15 years old, Collot was a pupil of the famous sculptor Etienne Maurice Falconet, who at age 47 was at the height of his career at that time.

At 17, she had already created in his studio in the Rue d' Anjou in Paris a series of busts, the much admired by contemporaries.

In 1766, she accompanied her master to Saint Petersburg to there one order of Empress Catherine II, a larger than life statue of Peter the Great, execute the " Bronze Horseman ". Collot led from the head of the statue.

On July 27, 1777 she married, still in Russia, who had traveled from England son Falco Nets, the painter Pierre Falconet ( 1741-1791 ), a pupil of the portrait painter Joshua Reynolds, a man whose appearance is described by contemporaries so drastically that he was probably hindered. But he was calculating enough to secure the fees and generous dowry Marie Anne Collots. The marriage was unhappy because of the continuing brutality and infidelity Falco Nets.

1778 Marie Anne Collot returned with her daughter to Paris. Then in 1779 she filed a lawsuit against her husband, whom she accused of having beaten her, betrayed and cheated on her with another woman. They parted. Etienne Falconet returned in 1781 from La Haye returned to Paris and was his daughter in law against the violent son with. He fell ill and was cared for by Marie Anne Collot until his death in 1791.

Through the marriage of their daughter Collot moved to Nancy, where she died in 1821.

Works

Dellac calls in their catalog of works 28 works of Marie Anne Collot, but which are largely missing. A part of her sculptures, including a bust of Diderot, is in the Museum of the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, and in the Louvre, Paris.

In the Museum of Nancy is a self-portrait, which was held for a bust of the young Empress Catherine long.