
Antoine Augustin Préault (1809-1879) was a French Romantic sculptor known for his intensely emotional, often violent works that challenged the calm idealism of Neoclassical sculpture. Born in Paris, he studied under David d'Angers but developed a far more turbulent, expressive style.
His relief Slaughter (Tuerie, 1834), a writhing mass of tortured figures, was rejected from the Salon for its disturbing intensity. Préault was effectively banned from exhibiting for over a decade. His later works include the medallion of Silence at Père Lachaise cemetery, a haunting profile of a hooded figure that has become one of the cemetery's most photographed sculptures.
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