Houdon's
sculpted works displaying at Getty
By:
Michelle Zenarosa
On-line
Forty-Niner The works of Jean-Antoine
Houdon, one of the most prominent sculptors
of 18th century France, famous for his
life-like portraits, are now on display
at the Getty for the public for the first
time in over 200 years.
The
exhibition includes works that were commissioned
by official institutions, private patrons
and aristocratic sitters, as well as famous
figures of the Enlightenment. Children,
myths and allegories and iconic images
of Americans like Thomas Jefferson, George
Washington and Benjamin Franklin are featured
as sculptures.
The
sculptures were such realistic portrayals
of the actual people that the brilliant
images were used as models in modern U.S.
currency. Houdon was said to be so detailed
that he sat personally met with each person
he sculpted so as to capture their exact
character in the marble, bronze or whatever
medium he used to sculpt them.
Much
of the intricacy and detail in the sculptures
that must have taken hours even days or
weeks to create. In the portraits entitled
"Theodore Brongiart" and "Louise
Brongiart," Houdon was so meticulous
that one could even differentiate between
the brown and blue colors of each child's
eye through the obscure indentations on
the all white marble canvas along with
elaborately depicting the exact shapes
of the buttons and lacing on their clothing.
The
process and development of the sculptures
is also revealed in the display Houdon
would always make a plaster model of the
work, and then sometimes made another
terracotta model before he created his
final marble or bronze masterpiece. The
series from plaster to the final product
are displayed side by side at the exhibition
so the audience can get a feel of the
process.
Sculpting
since the age of nine, Houdon had a fascination
with the human face, seeing it as a window
to the mind, and mastering it using intricate
facial expressions to show the character
and personality of the sculpted image.
"Benjamin Franklin 1779," Franklin's
lips are slightly curved implying that
he is about to speak. His simple and unbuttoned
clothing gave hints to his nature and
Franklin's well-known sayings such as,
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
Houdon's
amazing works are history in itself and
rank along with the works of Leonardo
da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh and Rembrant.
Event
Listing
What:
Jean-Antoine Houdon: Sculptor of the Enlightenment
When: November 4, 2003 to January 25,
2004
Where: J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty
Center Dr., Los Angeles
