Anatomical Mask - Item #154

  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 Fin