The Review
Portrait bust of George Washington in Hermès

« ... It was not possible to choose another sculptor; Mr. Houdon's fame is unmatched in Europe... »
Letter from Jefferson to Harrison on January 12, 1785, regarding the portrait of Washington.

Portrait en buste de George Washington En Hermès

In 1785, the renowned French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon accepted a commission from the Virginia State Legislature to create a life-size marble statue of George Washington for the State Capitol. The sculptor, accompanied by Benjamin Franklin and three assistants, set sail for Philadelphia in July 1785. During his two-week stay at Mount Vernon, Houdon sculpted the model head of this bust using locally extracted clay. Houdon left this bust with Washington and took back with him a life mask and detailed physical measurements to complete the final sculpture in France [now held at the Morgan Library and Museum, New York].

In general, Houdon's portrait of Washington is today considered the most faithful likeness of the first President of the United States of America. In his analytical and descriptive catalog of the works of Jean-Antoine Houdon published in 1918, Georges Giacometti simply notes under the entry for Houdon's portraits of Washington: "various copies (different materials)", making it very difficult to be definitive about the number of plaster busts made by Houdon. It is, however, accepted that Houdon created three known different versions of his busts of Washington :

- The version known as 'in the antique style' based on the original terracotta from Mount Vernon [Inventory No. W-369] (fig. 1)
- The version known as 'in tunic and toga' based on the plaster from the New-York Historical Society [Inventory No.: 1832.4] (fig. 2)
- The version known as 'in shirt and scarf' based on the terracotta from the Louvre [Inventory No. RF 350] (fig. 3)

However, the version we present differs markedly and constitutes a completely new fourth type that we can refer to as 'in Hermès' according to the classical canons of this typology: a bust with shoulders, chest, and back cut by planes.
The unique nature of this 'in Hermès' typology, the beautiful cursive signature in the still-fresh plaster, and the distinctive details in the treatment of the pupils of the eyes and the hair of our sculpture make it a high-quality plaster and a valuable discovery.

Classical Arts
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 2:30 pm

Public Exhibition
Monday, November 18, and Tuesday, November 19, from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm,
and on Wednesday, November 20, the morning of the sale, from 10 am to 1 pm.

For more information, contact
Grégoire de Thoury
+33 1 41 92 06 46 - thoury@aguttes.com