FALCONET, ETIENNE-MORIA, was born in 1716, of poor parents, at Vivay in Switzerland. Ilis parents early removed to Paris, and there he studied sculpture under Lemolne, whom he soon surpassed. Ile executed several groups and statues, which are at Paris, in the church of St. Roch, in the Musde des Monumens Franeeis, and in several private collections. In 1766 he accepted the invitation of Catharine 11. to repair to Petersburg, in order to execute the colossal statue of Peter the Great. He remained in that capital twelve years, during which he completed his work, which is now in the square called the Square of the Senate, and is by far his most celebrated production. As he and the Russian founder appointed to cast the statue could not agree, Falconet cast it himself. lie placed it upon an enormous block of granite, weighing about 1700 tons, which was found in some marshy ground at a considerable distance from Peters burg, and was brought to the capital by machinery. Catharine, who
had shown him the greatest attention during the first years of his residence in the Russian capital, grew cool towards him at last, owing to the misrepresentations of some of her courtiers. Falconet returned to, Paris in 1778. In May 1783, as he was going to set off for Italy, a country which ho had never visited, he had a paralytic stroke. He survived however till January 1791. Falcouet wrote strictures and commentaries on the books of Pliny which treat of the sculpture and painting of the ancients : he also wrote 'Observations sur la Statue de Marc Aurele.' In general Falconet had no great veneration forancient art. His writings were collected and published under the title, '(Euvres Completes de Falconet,' 6 vols. 8vo, Lausanue, 1782, and reprinted in 3 vole. 8vo, Paris, 1S08, to which is prefixed an account of his life.