Large Antique (19th c) WASHINGTON Bronze Bust Sculpture After HOUDON

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This magnificent bronze sculpture is a 19th century cast bust of President George Washington by the noted French artist, Jean Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) . This work carries the inscribed signature of the artist and the mark of Ferdinand Barbedienne , who ran the leading European bronze foundry in Paris in the 19th century. Measures 22 1/2" by 13 1/2" and weighs 32 lbs. There are no hallmarks or other markings on the underside. This work was recently purchased at estate sale and its provenance is unknown. Additional images forwarded upon request. In 1784 the Virginia State Assembly commissioned a statue of Washington "to be of the finest marble and the best workmanship." Thomas Jefferson recommended that Houdon complete the work. Beginning in the late summer of 1785, Houdon and three assistants stayed at Mt. Vernon taking detailed measurements of Washington's arms, legs, hands and chest and making a mold of his face. Houdon began work upon returning to Paris later that year, and the statue was not completed and shipped to the United States until 1796, when it was installed in the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. During the 1850s, the Virginia State Legislature authorized the casting of 11 bronze copies of the monument. Additional copies were cast in the 20th century, including 22 by the Gorham Company . Bronze copies are located read more

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