Denis Diderot (1713–1784)
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Height (bust): 15 3/4 in. (40 cm); Height (stand): 4 11/16 in. (11.9 cm); wt. confirmed: 20 7/16 in., 51.9 lb. (51.9 cm, 23.5 kg)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1974
Accession Number
1974.291
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant marble bust captures the likeness of Denis Diderot, the influential French Enlightenment philosopher, writer, and co-editor of the groundbreaking Encyclopédie. Created in 1773 by Jean-Antoine Houdon, one of the leading sculptors of his time, the portrait was made during Diderot’s lifetime and reflects the era’s deep interest in celebrating intellectual achievement through art. The work belongs to the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, where it stands as a testament to 18th-century French cultural life. Houdon worked in marble, a medium pri...