WORKSHOP OF JEAN-ANTOINE HOUDON (1741-1828), FRENCH, CIRCA 1793, | Portrait of Claudine Houdon (1790-1878)

Collection of Madame Monsallut, Lille;
J.L. Souffrice Gallery, 33 quai Voltaire, Paris;
acquired from the above by the great uncle of the present owner, in 1952; 
private collection, Paris.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Poulet, G. Scherf, Houdon 1741-1828. Sculpteur des Lumières, exh. cat. Versailles, 2004, pp. 137-140, no. 18.

Surface dirt throughout the surface, notably in the crevices, consistent with age and handling. There are a few small chips visible to the high points in some places and along the edges of the bust and the lower edge of the base. The marbled base with two restored breaks visible: one to the front, under Claudine's proper right shoulder, the other one to the back, to the proper left side of the base. The layer of paint throughout the surface could possibly conceal other old restorations. Otherwise in very good condition overall.
"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."

Houdon excelled in his portraits of children, and made it his specialty, notably when he transcribed the traits of his three daughters. Sabine, the eldest, Anne-Ange and Antoinette-Claude, called "Claudine", the youngest, represented here. He sometimes presented them naked or with open shoulders, sometimes with a draped garment or dressed with a coat. Houdon exhibited at the Salon of 1793 '[...] a bust of child in plaster' (no. 123), identified as the portrait of his youngest daughter, then aged three. She is cute with her fat cheeks, her frank and lively look, her hair in disarray, her shoulders wrapped in a drapery with deep folds. Modeled with tenderness, the artist pays particular attention to the expression of her face, and captures with skill and sweetness the vivacity of her look. Claudine's portrait was such a success that, besides the superb signed marble version at the Worcester Museum, Massachusetts (inv. no. 1964.17), several plaster casts are known.