Sabine Houdon at Age Four
ca. 1791
Houdon won the Prix de Rome at the age of twenty, and while in Italy was influenced by the newly excavated works at Herculaneum and Pompeii, as well as by the sculpture of Michelangelo. In his mature career the sculptor showed great adaptability, moving easily between neoclassical themes and captivating, insightful portraits like this of his little daughter.
Marble
17 11/16 x 11 1/16 x 7 1/2 in. (45 x 28.07 x 19.08 cm)
Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection
68.121
Provenance: [Private Dealer, London, probably acquired before World War II]; J.L.S. Violante, 1961-1968; [Heim Gallery, London/Paris, 1968]; purchased by Seattle Art Museum, April 1, 1968