Étienne Maurice Falconet (1716-1791), a versatile and facile French sculptor, incorporated late baroque, rococo, and neoclassic elements in his work and reflected the changes in artistic taste that occurred during his era.

Born in Paris on Dec. 1, 1716, Étienne Maurice Falconet studied with the sculptor Jean Baptiste Lemoyne. In 1754 Falconet was admitted to membership in the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. In 1757 he became director of sculpture at the Sevrès porcelain factory and was responsible for designing statuettes and decorative objects. The Sevrès factory was owned by the Crown, had great prestige, and produced some of the finest porcelain of the 18th century. One of Falconet's most important patrons was Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, a leader of taste and fashion who had a particular interest in the Sevrès factory.

Falconet was strongly influenced by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the...