Jean-Antoine Houdon, Marble sculpture in Luxembourg Garden, Paris, France
This marble work depicts Jean-Antoine Houdon, an artist who lived and worked in the 18th century. The stone sculpture stands near the Luxembourg Museum and impresses with fine details and lifelike facial features.
In 1888, the artist Ernest-Eugène Hiolle created this marble figure to honor a great portrait maker. This 18th-century artist had sculpted Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, and many other important figures of his time.
The inscription on the base recalls an artist who shaped how an entire era saw itself through portraiture. Walking past the sculpture, visitors notice how deeply this craftsman's vision influenced the way important thinkers were remembered.
The sculpture sits in the Luxembourg Garden and is freely accessible while walking through the park. The garden opens from sunrise to sunset, so visitors have plenty of daylight hours to view the work.
The work blends forms from classical antiquity with lifelike portrayal, just as the honored artist himself did in his creations. This mix of both styles makes the monument a kind of mirror of the artistic method it celebrates.
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