PIGALLE, Jean Baptiste (1714-1785), French sculptor, was born at Paris on 26th January 1714. Although he failed to obtain the Great Prize, after a severe struggle he entered the Academy and became one of the most popular sculptors of his day. His earlier work, such as Child with Cage (model at Sèvres) and Mercury Fastening his Sandals (Berlin, and lead cast in Louvre), is less commonplace in character than that of his maturer years, but his statue of Voltaire (Institut) and his tombs of Comte d’Harcourt (Notre Dame) and of Marshal Saxe (Lutheran church, Strasburg) are good specimens of French sculpture in the 18th century. He died on 21st August 1785.

See Tarbe, Vie et oeuv. de Pigalle ; Suard, Éloge de Pigallc; Mélanges de littérature ; Dussieux, Les artistes français à l'étranger-, Barbet de Jouy, Sculptures mod. Louvre.