Jean-Antoine Houdon

French, 1741 - 1828

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The sculpture is a bust of a man looking upward and to the right, depicted from his chest up. The man has a strong brow, a round nose, a soft jawline, and small lips in a neutral expression. His forehead is wide, with long hair emerging from the sides of his head and curling around his ears. He is depicted wearing a buttoned shirt or vest with a low vee neckline, a ruffled collar, and a coat over the shirt. His arms are cut off just below the shoulder. The sculpture is made from a smooth white material with subtle gray variations in tone. The bust sits on a tiered pedestal with a square base, inscribed at the front with the name "CAGLIOSTRO."
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Giuseppe Balsamo, Comte di Cagliostro, 1786, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1952.5.103

Giuseppe Balsamo, Comte di Cagliostro

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1786 · marble ·  Accession ID  1952.5.103
The sculpture is a bust of a man from the chest up. His hair is slightly wavy and pulled back from his face. He has high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips in a neutral expression. He wears a pleated tunic or shirt with a shawl or cloth draped over one shoulder and a wide strap over the other shoulder. The material of the sculpture is off-white, with some areas of light gray. The bust is mounted on a simple, rounded pedestal.”
Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, 1786/1793, plaster, Gift of Robert L. McNeil, Jr., in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art, 1991.199.1

George Washington

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1786/1793 · plaster ·  Accession ID  1991.199.1
The sculpture is a bust of a man with classical features. It depicts the upper torso and head of the individual, showing a stern expression. The man has prominent cheekbones, a strong jawline, and deeply set eyes. The hair is stylized, brushed back smoothly, and extends down to the nape of the neck. The sculpture is crafted from dark bronze, giving it a smooth and polished appearance with subtle variations in tone. There are no clothing details, except for a slight indication of a neckline, allowing focus on the facial features and hair. The bust appears lifelike in proportion and scale, offering an impression of the historical figure's visage.
Clark Mills, Jean-Antoine Houdon, George Washington, model 1785, cast 1850/1877, bronze, Corcoran Collection (Gift of the artist, 1883), 2015.19.3893

George Washington

Clark Mills, Jean-Antoine Houdon · model 1785, cast 1850/1877 · bronze ·  Accession ID  2015.19.3893
The head, shoulders, and upper chest of a man wearing a curly wig are carved from white marble in this freestanding portrait sculpture. In this photograph, the man’s body and face are squared to us but his eyes cut to our right. His high forehead is lined, and there are crow’s feet around his eyes and wrinkles down the sides of his mouth. His thin lips are pulled up in a slight smile. The hair of his wig is brushed back, and it falls in tiers of dense curls to his shoulders. A white cloth is tied around his sinewy neck, and ruffles peek from the opening of his buttoned vest under his coat. The bust is curved along the bottom edge and sits on a round, stone pedestal. The sculpture is photographed against a gray background.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Voltaire, 1778, marble, Widener Collection, 1942.9.127

Voltaire

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1778 · marble ·  Accession ID  1942.9.127
The head, shoulders, and breasts of a woman are carved from white marble in this free-standing sculpture. In this view, the woman’s shoulders angle to our right, and she turns her face back to look off to the left. She has a straight nose, almond-shaped eyes, full cheeks, and a rounded jawline. Her wavy hair is piled atop her head, and a crescent moon with the ends almost meeting in a tight curl is nestled in her hair. A strap crosses her chest between her firm breasts. The arms are cut off just under the shoulders, and the bottom edge of the bust is rounded. It sits on a dark gray turned pedestal and is photographed in front of a light gray background. Writing on the underside of the arm facing us is difficult to make out in this view.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Diana, 1778, marble, Gift of Syma Busiel, 1957.1.1

Diana

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1778 · marble ·  Accession ID  1957.1.1
A white marble sculpture shows the head and upper chest of an elderly, gaunt, bald, smiling man. In this photograph, the man’s face is angled to our right, and he looks off in that direction with hooded eyes under bushy brows. His forehead, eyes, and mouth are lined with wrinkles. He has a bulbous, slightly hooked nose and high cheekbones. He smiles with his thin lips together. There is a fringe of hair over the ear we can see, and his head is otherwise smooth. The tendons on his neck stand out. The narrow base of the sculpture curves in a U down past his collarbones, and is supported on a charcoal-gray, polished marble base. The sculpture casts a light shadow against a pale gray background to our left in this photograph.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Voltaire, 1778, marble, Chester Dale Collection, 1963.10.240

Voltaire

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1778 · marble ·  Accession ID  1963.10.240
The sculpture shows the bust of a young child with curly hair, smooth skin, and a soft expression. The child wears a garment with a ruffled collar and two buttons going down the front. They look towards the left with wide, inquisitive eyes, and have a small dimple in their cheek next to their small mouth. The sculpture is made of white marble and sits on a dark, glossy round base.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Alexandre Brongniart, 1777, marble, Widener Collection, 1942.9.123

Alexandre Brongniart

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1777 · marble ·  Accession ID  1942.9.123
The sculpture is a bust depicting a young girl with delicate features. Her head is slightly turned to the left, and she has a neutral expression. Her hair is styled up in a bun on the back of her head. The bust includes her bare shoulders and upper chest. It is white and mounted on a dark gray pedestal.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Louise Brongniart, 1777, marble, Widener Collection, 1942.9.124

Louise Brongniart

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1777 · marble ·  Accession ID  1942.9.124
The sculpture is a bust of a man with a strong expression, prominent eyes, and defined facial features. He wears a high-collared coat and a neatly tied cravat. The material is smooth and light-colored, possibly marble or a similar stone. The craftsmanship depicts intricate details of the man's face, hair, and clothing realistically. The bust sits on a round pedestal, elevating it and enhancing its classical appearance.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Joel Barlow, model 1803, cast by 1913, plaster, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Peter T. Barlow, 1914), 2014.136.236

Joel Barlow

Jean-Antoine Houdon · model 1803, cast by 1913 · plaster ·  Accession ID  2014.136.236
The sculpture depicts a human head with detailed facial features including eyes, nose, and an expression. The material appears brown-toned, potentially wax or bronze. The head is mounted on a dark brown wooden stand. The surface has fine lines and details, giving it an aged look. The color palette is neutral, enhancing the lifelike appearance.
Clark Mills, Jean-Antoine Houdon, Head of George Washington, model 1785, cast 1849/1859, plaster, Corcoran Collection (Gift of James D. Smith, 1904), 2014.136.232

Head of George Washington

Clark Mills, Jean-Antoine Houdon · model 1785, cast 1849/1859 · plaster ·  Accession ID  2014.136.232

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Shown from the chest up, an older man with pale, peachy skin, wearing a high-collared black coat and a cream-white, ruffled collar, is shown against a deep wine-red background in this vertical portrait painting. His body is angled to our right and he turns his face to look at us with gray eyes under pale gray eyebrows. He has a hooked nose and jowls along his chin line. His cheeks are flushed and his lips are set in a line. His white hair flares out along the sides of his head and is tied at the nape of his neck with a ribbon loosely painted and outlined with black. His ink-black coat has silvery gray highlights along the high collar and his right shoulder, to our left. The background is painted with light brushstrokes, deepening from scarlet red around his face to black at the upper corners.

Article:  George Washington, Pictured