Artist

(b. 1746, Paris, d. 1810, Paris)

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Details

Sculptor and draughtsman, part of a French family of artists, son of Pierre-Etienne Moitte. He first trained in Jean-Baptiste Pigalle's studio, and later in that of Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. In 1768 he won the Prix de Rome for sculpture and stayed in Rome from October 1771 to May 1773, before making a slow start to his career, chiefly with drawing. In particular, he drew for Robert-Joseph Auguste designs for silver- and goldsmith's work. In 1783 Moitte was finally accepted (agréé) by the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture and obtained commissions for several statues and low reliefs (1784; in situ) for the Hotel de Salm (now Palais de la Légion d'Honneur). Moitte was involved (1786-88) in the decoration of the barrieres (toll-houses) in Paris, constructed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux; however, his only royal commission was for a statue of Jean-Dominique Cassini (Paris, Musée Observatoire), one of the more successful works in a series of 'great men'. The plaster was exhibited at the Salon of 1789; its pose was apparently inspired by that of Jacques-Louis David's Brutus, exhibited at the same Salon. //

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Category	Artists
Artists by letter	M
Artist nationality	French