Large Portrait Bust Of Condorcet By Houdon, From The Louvre Workshop, Patinated Plaster, 19th Century, French Revolution

Large antique plaster bust with a patina depicting Condorcet, a philosopher, mathematician, and politician of the Enlightenment. The model is based on the famous portrait created by Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1785, in which Condorcet is depicted in a suit, with a tied cravat and powdered hair tied at the back.

This piece features an antique golden-brown patina, with variations in tone that highlight the modeling of the face, hair, and costume. The rendering of the face is precise, with the gaze directed slightly to the side, a straight nose, and a closed mouth; the coat is wide open, and the folds of the cravat are rendered with particular detail.

The plaster is mounted on a circular, molded pedestal. Beneath the sculpture is an old oval intaglio stamp, an early edition of a cast from the Louvre Museum dating to the 19th century. This piece, standing 76 cm tall, is a fine cast whose dimensions closely match those of the historical model.

Period: 19th century.

Artist of the original model: Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741–1828), after.

Subject: Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet (1743–1794).

Technique: patinated plaster.

Dimensions: height 76 cm; width 66 cm; depth 31 cm.

Mark: old oval sunken stamp beneath the bust