Paul Richer

Who was Paul Richer?

Paul Marie Louis Pierre Richer was a French anatomist, physiologist, sculptor and anatomical artist who was a native of Chartres. He was a professor of artistic anatomy at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, as well as a member of the Académie Nationale de Médecine.

Richer was an assistant to Jean-Martin Charcot at the Salpêtrière, and from 1882 to 1896 was chief of the laboratory at the Salpêtrière Hospital. With Charcot he performed research of hysteria and epilepsy, and also performed studies of medicine and its relationship to art.

In 1903, Richer was appointed to the chair of artistic anatomy at the École des Beaux-Arts, and in 1907-08 was president of the Société Française d'Histoire de la Médecine. His sculptures can be found in museums throughout Europe, including the Musée d'Orsay.