Louis Ernest Barrias Biography
Louis-Ernest Barrias was a French sculptor, born in Paris on 13 April 1841 into a family of artists. His father painted porcelain and his older brother, Félix-Joseph Barrias, was a well-known painter. He began his artistic training with the neoclassical painter Léon Cogniet, but subsequently became passionate about sculpture under the guidance of the academic sculptor Pierre-Jules Cavelier.
Admitted to the école des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1858, he continued his studies as a sculptor with François Jouffroy. In 1865, he competed for the Prix de Rome, winning a scholarship to study at the French Academy in Rome. He participated in the decoration of the Paris Opéra building and the Hôtel de la Païva in the Champs-Élysées.
His work, mainly in marble, was done in a Romantic style, influenced by the famous sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. Barrias received several honors, including being appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1878, Officer in 1881, and Commander in 1900.
He taught at the Institut de France and later as a professor at the école des Beaux-Arts. Among his students were Josep Clarà, Charles Despiau, Henri Bouchard and Victor Segoffin.
Barrias served on the Council for National Museums in the last years of his life, and died in Paris on 4 February 1905. His works can be found in many private collections and museums around the world.
