Jean-Antoine Houdon (Houdon Jean Antoine)

(1741-1828)
Born March 20, 1741 in Versailles. He studied at the Moscow Slodtsa, J. Pigalle and J. Lemoine. From 1764 to 1768 was a scholar of the French Academy in Rome, the first success came to him after a statue of St.. Bruno for the Roman church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Upon his return to Paris the first time the sculptor continued to work in the academic tradition. In 1777 he presented a statue of Morpheus to the competition for the right to membership in the Academy. Houdon very quickly developed its own individual style, embodied in a series of brilliant portraits of eminent figures of France, Russia and America at that time. In 1785 the sculptor made a trip to America to perform ordered his statue of George Washington, which was completed only in 1792 (Richmond, pc. Virginia). Houdon was a member of the Institute of France (1796), Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (1804). During the Empire, he continued to work, but since 1805 only led teaching. Houdon died in Paris on July 16, 1828.

The highest achievements of French sculpture 18. undoubtedly linked to the genre of portraiture, one of the best masters of which was Houdon. Accuracy of psychological characteristics and the amazing ability to choose and synthesize allowed him to create such different images, like the old Voltaire and the sculptor's daughter, the little Sabine Houdon, Louis XVI and Dzh.P.Dzhons.