Jean-Baptiste, called Auguste Clésinger French, 1814-1883

Overall the condition of the bronze is excellent with some minor wear to the patina consistent with age. A lock of Christ's hair over his left shoulder was cast separately. There are a few spots of white paint, mostly to the back of the hair.
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Auguste Clésinger first exhibited at the Paris Salon with a religious subject, a Virgin, in 1836. However, his breakthrough to success came in 1847 when he exhibited his scandalously erotic Woman Bitten by a Snake which enthralled and shocked in equal measure. He became known for his voluptuous nudes with inconsequential classicising allusions. Clésinger's religious sculptures form a fascinating parallel to these better-known works, imbued as they are with a particular sensitivity and conviction.

In the first half of the nineteenth century religious subjects made very rare appearances at the Salon. According to Ruth Butler the climate of anti-clericalism following the French Revolution and the 1830 Revolution effectively banished religious themes from the sculptural repertoire. When religious themes returned, sculptors no longer appeared to have the artistic vocabulary to express the conviction of their subjects. As David d'Angers, once Clésinger's master, wrote: "these saints give the impression that they have sworn to honour something they no longer believe."

The present bust is a magnificent exception. Clésinger's bronze is a powerful description of pathos and beauty. The bowed head of Christ, with the thorns pressed into the brow, maintains a dignity despite an expression of exquisite suffering. The rolling curls falling over the shoulders and down the back, as well as the subtly differentiated patina show an attention to facture, which matches the sensitivity of the conception. Clésinger exhibited four models of Christ at the Salon from 1844 to 1859. The present bust can most probably be identified with the model exhibited in 1847. Another bronze cast is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

RELATED LITERATURE
Lami, vol. 1, pp. 393-405; R. Butler, 'Religious Sculpture in Post-Christian France' in Romantics to Rodin, pp. 83-95; Carvings, Casts and Replica, no. 53, pp.146-147