Guillaume Coustou the Elder

Guillaume Coustou the Elder was a French sculptor who carved a name for himself in the Baroque era, working for two kings, Louis XIV and XV. Hailing from a family of sculptors, he was the son of a wood-carver, and his brother and son were also notable sculptors. Though he won the prestigious Prix de Rome, he apparently found the rules of the French Academy in Rome a bit too stuffy and decided to leave. Rumor has it that he then spent some time wandering the streets of Rome homeless before another sculptor took him in. Whether he was a starving artist or simply a rebel with a chisel, Coustou the Elder went on to create masterpieces, including the famous Marly Horses which now grace the Louvre. He eventually became the director of the very academy he once scorned, proving that sometimes the path to success is a winding one.