Renowned French sculptor of elegance, awarded at major Salons.

Born in Toulouse in 1848, Laurent-Honoré Marqueste is one of the leading figures of French sculpture. He trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jean-Alexandre Falguière and François Jouffroy. In 1871, he was awarded the prestigious Prix de Rome, allowing him to study at the Villa Medici in Rome beginning in 1872, where he deepened his knowledge of classical and Renaissance sculpture.

Upon his return to Paris, Marqueste opened his own studio and began exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salon from 1874 onward, as well as at the world’s fairs. He taught at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts from 1893 to 1900, becoming its vice-president in 1902 and president in 1903.

His monumental work, often infused with mythological or allegorical themes, still adorns several iconic Parisian landmarks today, including the Tuileries Gardens, the Luxembourg Gardens, and the Hôtel de Ville. He is notably the creator of such major works as Perseus and the Gorgon.

Marqueste died in Paris in 1920. Today, his works are held in major French institutions, including the Musée d’Orsay, the Petit Palais, and various regional museums.

He received several distinctions, among them : Second-Class Medal at the 1878 Exposition Universelle, First-Class Medal in 1876, Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1884, Exempt from competition, 1882, Grand Prize and Gold Medal at the 1900 Exposition Universelle.

Literature

• Union Artistique de Toulouse, 10e année : Exposition de 1894, ouverture le 15 mars au Capitole, Toulouse, 1894, n°573
• Salon de 1894, Paris : Ludovic Baschet Editeur, 1894, pp. 83 et 94
• Exposition Universelle de 1900, Catalogue officiel illustré de l’Exposition décennale des Beaux-Arts de 1889 à 1900, Paris, 1900, p.175
• A. Vivet, Congrès de musique sacrée, Insitut de France, 1938 – Documentation photographique montrant La Cigale au Musée de Caen en 1937.