Young girl identified as Anne Audéoud of Geneva (1776–1840)
first modeled ca. 1779–80
Medium
Plaster
Dimensions
Height (bust): 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm); Height (with socle): 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Bertha H. Buswell, 1941
Accession Number
42.23.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate plaster bust captures the youthful innocence of Anne Audé, a girl from Geneva born in 1776, modeled by the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon around 1779–80. Standing just 14½ inches tall (with socle, 19½ inches), it exemplifies Houdon's mastery of neoclassical portraiture during the late Enlightenment era. Houdon, celebrated for lifelike sculptures of luminaries like Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin, brought the same precision to this intimate depiction of a child, likely commissioned by her family during his travels or stays in Switzerland. Crafted in plaster—a common ...