HOUDON, Jean-Antoine
(b. 1741, Versailles, d. 1828, Paris)

Bust of Mirabeau

1800
Marble
Château de Versailles, Versailles

Houdon was the foremost French sculptor of the second half of the 18th century and one of the outstanding portrait sculptors in the history of art. Although he created a number of works on Classical themes, he is best known for his remarkably vivid busts and statues of his famous contemporaries, many of which exist in several versions.