Born in Paris on November 11, 1746, the sculptor and draftsman Moitte would become known as a representative of French neoclassicism. As the son of the engraver Pierre-Etienne Moitte, the boy must have learned drawing skills at an early age. His teachers were Jean-Baptiste Pigalle (1714-1785) and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne (1704-1778). Lami revealed that Moitte was rather frail, withdrawn and serious, which did not make him popular among his colleagues. Moitte submitted a bas-relief, David Carrying the Head of Goliath in Triumph, which won the first prize in sculpture in 1768. He began the traditional study period in Rome at the Académie de France in 1771 but had to return for reasons of health in May 1773.&n...