Couturier was a very prominent sculptor; he was initially a follower of Maillol but broke away from the strictly classical style. He became Professor at the Ecole d'Arts Decoratifs, Paris and also at the Beaux-Arts Academy in Paris. He continued to work into old age and on his centenary a large retrospective of his work was held at the Musée Maillol in Paris. He was an important influence on 20th century sculpture and he is represented in important public collections world-wide