Bourdelle, Antoine

SCULPTOR (FRANCE)
BORN 30 Oct 1861, Mauntauban, Tarn-et-Garonne - DIED 1 Oct 1929, Le Vésinet, Yvelines
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière du Montparnasse, 3 Boulevard Edgar Quinet (division 15)

Antoine Bourdelle left school when he was 13 years old and started working as a wood carver in his father's shop. The founder of the Ingres Museum in Montauban taught him drawing and in Toulouse he learned sculpture. A scholarship enabled him to enter the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

In 1888 he made his first Beethoven sculptures. His work attracted the attention of Rodin and in 1893 Bourdelle became Rodin's assistent. He had many pupils in Rodin's studio as well as in his own. In 1902 he made a war memorial at Montauban and in 1910 he was successful at the Salon with "Hercules Archer". During the same year he made "Rodin at Work".

He was one of the founders of the "Salon des Tuileries" in Paris and became its president. Later in life he received several commissions for monuments and in 1924 he became a Commandeur de Légion d'honneur. His house and studio in Paris are now a museum.

Related persons
• made a sculpture of Beethoven, Ludwig van
• worked for Rodin, Auguste

Images

The grave of Antoine Bourdelle at the Montparnasse cemetery, Paris.
Picture by Androom (27 Aug 2001)

 

Sources
• Adler, Josef, Handbuch der Grabstätten, 2. Band, Die Grabstätte der Europäer, Deutsches Kunstverlag, München, 1986
Antoine Bourdelle - Wikipedia (EN)


Bourdon, Julien

Published: 26 Apr 2009
Last update: 25 Apr 2022