D After Jean-antoine Houdon Bust Of Louise Brongniart Terracotta Patina

Bust of Louise Brongniart (1772-1845) on shower stand. Patinated terracotta. Signature on the reverse. End of the 19th century In good condition, note however some jumps in the patina. All imperfections have been photographed. Sold as presented in the photos. Biography: Jean-Antoine Houdon is a French neoclassical portrait painter, best known for his busts of contemporary political and cultural figures of the French Enlightenment. His work is characterized by his dynamic sense of realism and his lack of idealism, capturing the transitory expressions of his subject. Influenced by classical masters such as Michelangelo, he often sculpted directly from life or by casting the faces of his model. He was born in Versailles in France on March 25, 1741 and after attending several French art institutions during his youth – notably the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture – Houdon found success after presenting his patinated terracotta plaster Morpheus at the Paris Salon of 1771. He had a long and prolific career, sculpting figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Voltaire, and even George Washington, for whom he crossed the Atlantic and spent 12 days at Mount Vernon. He lost his popularity and narrowly avoided imprisonment by the French Revolution for his bourgeois connections. His popularity later resumed and he was inducted into the Legion of Honor in 1804. He died in Paris on July 15, 1828, and is now buried in the famous Montparnasse cemetery Photos are an integral part of the description. Dimensions: Height: 30.5 cm Width: 15 cm Diameter: 9.5 cm C971