White marble bust of 'La Pudeur' after J-A. Houdon, 19th century
Important 3/4 bust in white Carrara marble representing "La Pudeur", a young woman with a mischievous smile who modestly conceals her nudity. The young woman's hair is decorated with intertwined braids held in place by a headband, and her face is adorned with bangs. Her arms are crossed over her chest, holding an antique-style draped dress. This remarkable bust in white Carrara marble rests on a round molded pedestal. This lively sculpture by Jean-Antoine Houdon is typical of the modernity he brought to statuary and the execution of his extremely precise, highly realistic face sculptures in the 18th century.
Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828): the sculptor of the Enlightenment
Born in Versailles, Houdon began sculpting at the age of 9 in the workshop of Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, then became a pupil of Michel-Ange Slodtz, who would influence him even more. He entered the Académie and was awarded the Prix de Rome scholarship, where he stayed for almost 4 years from 1764 to 1768. There, he studied works from Antiquity to the Renaissance, quickly combining realism with Greek idealism. He produced various portraits of Voltaire and Diderot, as well as of King Louis XVI, whose marble was exhibited at the Salon of 1790. A member of a Masonic lodge supporting the young American republic, he was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson and later by the state of Virginia to "fix" the features of George Washington. He was one of the few artists to travel to North America at the time.
Circa: 1890
Dim: W: 34cm, D: 20cm, H: 59cm.
Dim: W: 13,4in, D: 7,9in, H: 23,2in.
Condition report: Very good condition.
