Anatomical Mask - Item #154
Item is in stock Only 0 left in stock Item is out of stock Item is unavailable
12 Inches High x 8 Inches Wide x 6 Inches Deep
This life-size mask is from neoclassical sculptor Houdon's study in preparation for a marble sculpture of Saint John the Baptist. It was one of his first commissions, and he was only 25 years old. Upon seeing the anatomical study, his friends and colleagues recognized it as an important artwork in its own right and suggested he make a mold of it to produce copies. Houdon's anatomical study became widely popular. He gave and sold many copies of it to art academies and schools. Early on he omitted the tree trunk which would have been used to support the finished marble figure's weight. The study continues to be utilized by artists today for its beautiful representation of the human form. Early copies are located at the Académie de France in Rome, the Schlossmuseum Gotha in Germany, the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the École supérieure d'art et design Le Havre-Rouen in Normandy, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Saint John the Baptist was commissioned by the Carthusians for the Roman church of Santa Maria degli Angeli as a companion piece to his Saint Bruno, but Saint John was never carved in marble. Houdon placed a plaster copy in the designated niche instead, but it fell and was damaged extensively in 1894. Today, a plaster is in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
Artist: Jean-Antoine Houdon
Museum/Location: Académie de France, Rome, the Schlossmuseum Gotha, Germany, the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, the École supérieure d'art et design Le Havre-Rouen, Normandy, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Time Period: Modern, 1767
Sources:
Collins, Neil. "Jean Antoine Houdon." Art Encyclopedia. Visual-arts-cork.com, 2017, http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/jean-antoine-houdon.htm.
Hecht, Johanna. "Jean Antoine Houdon (1741-1828)." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jahd/hd_jahd.htm.
Moreno, Paolo and Chiara Stefani. The Borghese Gallery. Touring Editore, 2000, pp. 125. GoogleBooks, https://books.google.com/books?id=Ce2Fg7FIvFgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Poulet, Anne L. "Early Works." Jean-Antoine Houdon: Sculptor of the Enlightenment, University of Chicago Press, 2005, pp. 62-95. GoogleBooks, https://books.google.com/books?id=EV0BgrzV-fkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Poulet, Anne L. with Ulrike D. Mathies and Christoph Frank. "Etat Des Choses: A Recently Discovered Document by Houdon." Jean-Antoine Houdon: Sculptor of the Enlightenment, University of Chicago Press, 2005, pp. 29-39. GoogleBooks, https://books.google.com/books?id=EV0BgrzV-fkC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false.
Pieces are plaster unless otherwise noted. They are made to order and hand cast. We offer our pieces in a variety of patinas/finishes.
Masks and small and large reliefs (except tabletop pieces as noted) come with at least one embedded hook for hanging unless otherwise noted. For all other pieces, like anatomical casts, refer to the product pages.
Questions? View the FAQ page for more information and for answers to frequently asked questions. Email us at contact@capronicollection.com or call us at 781-933-2455.
View the patina/finish options for your hand-made reproduction here or above. Be sure to make your selection when adding the item to your cart.
Most items ship within a few days to 3 weeks as our reproductions are made to order and hand cast.
Customers in the contiguous United States receive free ground shipping automatically at checkout. Note that an oversized item – typically an item weighing more than 150 pounds when packaged – will not populate a shipping rate because it may have to ship via a freight carrier. In this case, please contact us for a quote. Customers in Alaska, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories and international customers can find shipping options in the checkout process.
Items must be opened and inspected within 48 hours of delivery to report any damage.
Returns are not accepted; all sales are final as pieces are made to order and hand cast.
More info and answers to frequently asked questions can be found under FAQ.