Houdon, Jean Antoine, << oo DAWN, zhahn ahn TWAN >> (1741-1828), was probably the greatest French sculptor of the 1700’s. Many critics rate him as the leading European sculptor of his time. As a portrait sculptor, he recorded the images of many great men and women both in Europe and the United States. Houdon’s ability to capture the character of his subjects inspired many later sculptors. Houdon sculpted in plaster, terra cotta (a type of clay), marble, and bronze. His control in working his materials has seldom been equaled.
Houdon was the first major European sculptor to visit North America. He traveled to the United States in 1785 to model a portrait of George Washington. His full-length portrait of Washington (1791), which stands in Virginia’s Capitol in Richmond, has been called the best likeness of the President ever made (see Virginia (Table: Interesting facts) ). He also sculpted busts of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Admiral John Paul Jones, and inventor Robert Fulton. These portraits are among the most impressive artistic documents left from the early years of the American republic.
Houdon was born on March 20, 1741, in Versailles. From 1764 to 1768 he attended the French Academy in Rome, where he studied the major artworks of ancient Rome. In addition to portraits, Houdon occasionally sculpted mythological and religious subjects. Some of these works are informal and intimate. Others are grand in scale and concept. Houdon died on July 15, 1828.
