Sculpture – The Victor in the Cockfight, Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900) – Bronze

Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900)

Alexandre Falguière, born September 7, 1831 in Toulouse, is a famous French sculptor and painter.

At the School of Fine Arts and Industrial Sciences in Toulouse, he joined the sculpture class of Bernard Griffoul-Dorval (1788-1861). His results convinced the municipality to award him a pension to allow him to complete his training in Paris.
Seeking to improve his income with a view to entering the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he first found employment in the then very prosperous company of the sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887), then worked with Jean-Louis Chenillion (1810-1875).
Approaching the age limit for admission to the Beaux-Arts in Paris, he finally decided in 1854 to enter.
Admitted to the workshop of François Jouffroy, Alexandre Falguière won, along with Léon Cugnot, the first Grand Prix de Rome for sculpture in 1859 with his bas-relief "Mezentius wounded, preserved by the intrepidity of his son Lausus".
He was a resident at the Villa Medici in Rome from 1860 to 1864, where in 1861 he met his fellow Toulousain Raymond Barthélemy (1833-1902), winner of the Prix de Rome in 1860, a former student of Griffoul-Dorval like himself.

In 1864, he sent the fruit of his Italian work, the sculpture of "The Winner in the Cockfight" to the Salon des Artistes, which was held every year in Paris. It was an immediate success.
Emperor Napoleon III, buys the original bronze sculpture.
It measures one meter seventy-four and is kept at the Musée d'Orsay.
The sale of these sculptures provided Alexandre Falguière with a comfortable income, and placed him in the position of a prominent artist.
Alexandre Falguière was then part of a group of sculptors, with "Paul Dubois", "Antonin Mercié" and "Alexandre Moulin", who were nicknamed "Les Florentins".
As in the city of Florence during the Renaissance, these sculptors draw their themes from Antiquity.

In 1882, A. Falguière was appointed professor at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts.
Among Falguière's students were "Antonin Mercié", "Laurent Marqueste", "Gaston Schnegg", "Camille Crenier", "Achille Jacopin", "Maurice Bouval" and "Jean-Marie Mengue", the most famous of them being "Antoine Bourdelle".
Alexandre Falguière was promoted to Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1889.

In 1898, A. Falguière received the commission for the Monument to Balzac, after the refusal of that of Auguste Rodin, by the Société des Gens de Lettres, his sponsors.
The affair caused a scandal that the press dubbed the "Second Dreyfus Affair" because Émile Zola supported Auguste Rodin. To demonstrate that this episode had in no way damaged their friendship, Falguière created a bust of Rodin for the 1897 Salon, and Rodin, in turn, sculpted a bust of Falguière.

Alexandre Falguière died on April 19, 1900 at his home at 68, rue d'Assas.
He is buried in Paris, at Père-Lachaise Cemetery.

Alexandre Falguiere (1831-1900)

Alexandre Falguiere, born September 7, 1831 in Toulouse, is a famous French sculptor and painter.

He joined the sculpture class of Bernard Griffoul-Dorval (1788-1861) at the School of Fine Arts and Industrial Sciences in Toulouse.
His results decided the municipality to award him a pension to allow him to complete his training in Paris.
Seeking to improve his income with a view to entering the School of Fine Arts in Paris, he was first hired in the then very prosperous company of the sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887), then worked with Jean-Louis Chenillion (1810-1875).
Approaching the age limit for admission to the Fine-Arts in Paris, he finally decided in 1854 to enter.
Admitted to the Workshop of François Jouffroy, Alexandre Falguiere was the winner, with Leon Cugnot, of the first Rome Grand Prix for sculpture in 1859 with his bas-relief “Mézence wounded, preserved by the intrepidity of his son Lausus”.
He boarded at the Villa Medici in Rome from 1860 to 1864, where in 1861 he met his fellow Toulouse resident Raymond Barthelemy (1833-1902), a former student of Griffoul-Dorval like him.

In 1864, he sent to the Artists' Fair, which is held every year in Paris, the fruit of his Italian work, the sculpture of “Winner in Cockfight”. The success is immediate.
Emperor Napoleon III, purchased the original bronze sculpture.
She measures one meter seventy-four and is kept at the Orsay Museum.
The sale of these sculptures ensures Alexandre Falguiere a comfortable income, and places him in the position of a prominent artist.
Alexandre Falguiere was then part of a group of sculptors, with “Paul Dubois”, “Antonin Mercie” and “Alexandre Moulin”, who were nicknamed “The Florentins”.
As in the city of Florence during the Renaissance, these sculptors drew their themes from Antiquity.

In 1882, A. Falguiere was appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in Paris, and elected member of the Academy of Fine Arts.
Falguiere's students included "Antonin Mercié", "Laurent Marqueste", "Gaston Schnegg", "Camille Crenier", "Achille Jacopin", "Maurice Bouval" and "Jean-Marie Mengue", the most famous of these being "Antoine Bourdelle".
Alexandre Falguiere was promoted to Commander of the Legion of Honor in 1889.

In 1898, A.Falguiere received the order for the Monument to Balzac, after the refusal of that of Auguste Rodin, by the Society of People of Letters, its sponsors.
The affair caused a scandal that the press called the “Second Dreyfus affair” because Emile Zola supported Auguste Rodin.
To prove that this episode in no way damaged their friendship, Falguiere created the bust of Rodin for the Salon of 1897, and for his part Rodin sculpted a bust of Falguiere.

Alexandre Falguière died on April 19, 1900 at his home at 68, rue d'Assas.
He is buried in Paris at the Pere-Lachaise Cemetery.