Woman from the French Colonies
Medium
Algerian onyx-marble, bronze, enamel, amethyst; white marble socle
Dimensions
Overall on socle (confirmed): H. 37 3/4 x W. 23 1/4 x D. 12 1/4 in., 208.4lb. (95.9 x 59.1 x 31.1 cm, 94.5296kg) [Weight breakdown: head 35.4 lbs, marble bust 173 lbs, marble socle 98.7 lbs]; Pedestal (confirmed): H. 41 3/8 x W. 18 1/4 x D. 18 1/4 x 11 3/4 in. (105.1 x 46.4 x 46.4 x 29.8 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Fund, 2006
Accession Number
2006.112a–c
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1861 by French sculptor Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier, with design contributions from Charles-François Rossigneux, *Woman from the French Colonies* exemplifies the 19th-century fascination with ethnographic portraiture. Cordier, renowned for his polychrome busts, captured the diverse peoples of France’s expanding empire through sensitive and dignified representations. This elegant half-length figure, displayed on a white marble socle, invites viewers to appreciate both individual beauty and cultural variety. The sculpture’s remarkable materials highlight Cordier’s technical mastery....
About the Artist
Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier|Charles-François Rossigneux (French|French) · 1827 |1818 –1905 |1909
French, 1827–1905|French, 1818–afer 1909