Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse 1824-1887 | French sculptor

Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse 1824-1887 | French sculptor
Carrier-Belleuse trained as a goldsmith before entering the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1840 under the sponsorship of Pierre-Jean David d’Angers. He only stayed there for a short time before switching to the Petite Ecole to study decorative arts. Carrier-Belleuse worked in London from 1850-1855, designing ceramics and metalwork models for companies. Beginning in 1857, he exhibited large sculptures at the Salon and received medals and important commissions. From 1851-1870, Emperor Napoleon III hired him to work on the rebuilding of Paris. Carrier-Belleuse’s work incorporated a variety of styles and influences including Naturalism, Realism, neo-Baroque, and Rococo. He employed many pupils such as Auguste Rodin 1840-1917 in his large workshop that produced series, editions, and variations of his sculptures. He was also the father and teacher of Pierre Carrier-Belleuse 1851-1933.