Early Life and Education Born: July 18, 1829, Nogent-sur-Seine, France Initially studied law to please his father, a notary. Abandoned legal studies to pursue sculpture. Influenced by the work of his great-uncle, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle. Debut at the Paris Salon in 1857 under the name Dubois-Pigalle. Studied at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts under Armand Toussaint. Traveled to Rome in 1860, studying and copying classic…