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
Rights
Public Domain
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. Algerian onyx-marble forms the luminous flesh tones, while bronze, enamel, and amethyst add rich details to hair, jewelry, and costume. Such lavish combinations were prized during the Second Empire for their ability to mimic real textures and colors, transforming cold stone into something vividly lifelike. As part of Cordier’s celebrated series of “ethnographic” busts, the work reflects France’s colonial encounters and the era’s growing interest in global cultures. Today it stands as both an artistic achievement and a window into 19th-century attitudes toward race, empire, and beauty.
About the Artist
Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier|Charles-François Rossigneux (French|French) · 1827 |1818 –1905 |1909
French, 1827–1905|French, 1818–afer 1909