Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu

Place: Le Mée-Sur-Seine

Born: 1833

Death: 1891

Biography:

Henri-Michel-Antoine Chapu (29 September 1833 – 21 April 1891) was a French sculptor in a modified Neoclassical tradition who was known for his use of allegory in his work. He was born in Le Mée-sur-Seine, France, and moved to Paris with his family in 1847. He entered the Petit École and then the École des Beaux-Arts, where he studied with James Pradier and Francisque Duret. He won the Prix de Rome in 1855 and spent five years in Italy. His statues Mercury of 1861 and Jeanne d'Arc of 1870 were his first big successes, and led to many commissions thereafter. He is also known for his medals, and led the French revival in the medal as an artistic form. He taught at Paris' Academie Julian and died in Paris in 1891. At least four full-scale reproductions of Jeanne d'Arc are on permanent display at universities in Virginia.