MOUREAU, Auguste

Auguste Moreau (Dijon, 1834 - Paris, 1917) was a renowned French sculptor, member of the famous Moreau family of artists. He was the son of painter Jean-Baptiste Moreau and the younger brother of fellow sculptors Hippolyte Moreau and Mathurin Moreau, with whom he shared both his origins and his artistic vocation. He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was a pupil of great masters such as François Jouffroy and Aimé Millet. His work falls within academicism and Art Nouveau. He stood out especially in the creation of bronze, terracotta, and marble sculptures. His main themes were allegories, mythology, and genre scenes, frequently depicting graceful female figures, nymphs, angels, and everyday scenes imbued with a delicate romanticism. He debuted at the Paris Salon in 1861 and exhibited there regularly until the early 20th century, establishing himself as a very popular and commercially successful artist of his time.