Workshop of Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) French, circa 1791

with cachet d'atelier  ACADEM. ROYALE DE PEINTURE ET SCULPT. HOUDON SC. on the reverse

Drouot Montaigne Paris, 1 April 1993, lot 74

Standard surface abrasions, minor chipping throughout. Various layers of paint evident. Some repair to tip of nose and possibly lips, some smaller restorations to locks of hair and proper right ear. Some minor and stable hairline cracks.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jean-Antoine Houdon was the most important French sculptor in the 18th century, particularly noted for the originality and intimacy of his portraits. Unsurprisingly, among the most spontaneous of these are the portraits he executed of his close friends and family including the children of the architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart and his own daughters.

Anne-Ange Houdon (1788-1843) was the second daughter of Jean-Antoine by his wife Marie-Ange-Cécile Langlois. Several tinted plaster busts of Anne-Ange are known, one of which was acquired by the Louvre in 2002. The withdrawn catalogue for the Salon of 1791 lists a plaster of “Mlle Ange Houdon at fifteen months” (no.234) which may be the original plaster in the Louvre.  Another plaster bust from the workshop is in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Houdon’s works were popular not only in the 18^th century but also in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries (Poulet, op.cit., p.139) and were readily available in the Paris art market at the time.  

RELATED LITERATURE
L. Réau, Houdon. sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris, 1964, I, p. 418 and II, p. 50, no. 232
A. L. Poulet and G. Scherf, Jean-Antoine Houdon. Sculptor of Enlightenment, exh. cat. National Gallery of Atr, Washington,  2003