Gillet Nicolas-Francois (Gillet Nicolas-Francois)

March 2, 1709 (Metz, France) - February 7, 1791 (Paris)

sculptor, graphic artist.

Art education in the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris from which he graduated in 1745. He studied at L.-S. Adana. During training twice awarded the second-largest prizes: in 1743 for the relief of "David, obeying the will of the master, the plague struck his kingdom, and in 1745 for the relief of" Solomon takes the ark in the temple. " In 1747-1752 was a pensioner of the French Academy in Rome. Until 1757 he lived in Paris. Exhibited his work at the Paris Salon. In 1757 a statue of "Paris with an apple" was awarded the title of academician.

In the same year, invited by Ivan Shuvalov, the Russian service. In 1758 came to St. Petersburg. From February 1758 and 1777 he taught at IAH with an annual salary of 1 200 rubles. First conducted drawing lessons from models taught clay modeling and copying. In 1764-1766 supervised class "ornamental" sculpture, from 1766 - "sculptural-statuynym" class. Among his pupils - FI Shubin, FF Shchedrin, F. G. Gordeev, I. Martos, M. and . Kozlovsky, AI Prokofiev and others. In 1765 was approved by one of four permanent members of the IAH, in the same year "for their hard work and the art of" recognized as a professor of sculpture. In 1767, promoted to associate rector. Repeatedly the post of Director of the Academy.

worked in the field of easel and monumental and decorative sculpture. Executing the order of the Office of the buildings. In 1760 created a model of the tombstones of Peter I to the Peter and Paul Cathedral (not preserved). Among other works, Gillet, performed in Russia, known for "Painting" (1758-1760, stained plaster of Paris), "Cupid with arrows" (1770, marble), "Bather" (1771, bronze), portraits of the conference Minister P. Shuvalov (1760-e, marble), the first President of IAH II Shuvalov (early 1760's, marble), the Empress Catherine II (1764, marble), Grand Duke Paul Petrovich (1765, bronze). Often led by the collective work. In the models presented by the master, worked best students Sculpture class. Also produced decorative vases and fine china to plastic.

In 1777 he retired, in 1778 returned to France. On behalf of IAH followed the occupations of retired Russian sculptors in Paris.

Gillet - one of the greatest masters of the second half of XVIII century in Russia, through his teaching activities had a significant impact on the development of Russian sculpture. The master's career - a vivid example of the so-called "style of Louis XVI», transient phenomena in art, in which rocaille tradition was combined with the features of the nascent Neo-Classicism. Especially his graceful terracotta statuettes of nymphs close Boucher and at the same time, reminiscent of a more stringent samples E. Bushardona.

Gillet works are in many museum collections, including the State Russian Museum, State Tretyakov Gallery, State Hermitage Museum, the Louvre and others.