Jean-Antoine Houdon’s bust of George Washington is as iconic a sculptural image of the first President as Gilbert Stuart’s is on canvas. Famed through its many reproductions, as well as from derivations by other artists, it conveys the humanity and nobility of the man without the historical trappings associated with royalty or power. 

Houdon considered his portrait of Washington the most important commission of his career. In 1784 the Virginia legislature apportioned funds for a marble statue of Washington to be housed in the State Capitol in Richmond. Both Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin recommended Houdon for the commission, and in July 1785 Houdon traveled to Virginia—a sea journey lasting 4 weeks to Philadelphia, followed by a carriage trip to Mount Vernon, where he stayed for several weeks. 

At Mount Vernon Houdon took a life mask and made a clay bust of Washington, while recording detailed measurements of his head and body for the full figure. The plaster life mask is now at the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York and the clay bust is at Mount Vernon. Houdon returned to Paris, and over the next year prepared a marble bust which was exhibited in his studio in 1786 and at the Salon the next year.

Houdon’s full-length statue for Virginia was completed in 1792 but not installed in Richmond until four years later. In the meantime, Houdon produced two versions of the bust—one in which Washington is attired in “à l’antique” costume, and the other, like our bust, classically undraped. A single signed marble version of that type is in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm.

The appearance of small discolorations in the Seravezza marble during the carving process likely caused Houdon to cease work on our bust before he could apply the last finishing touches to the surface. Still, the sculpture fully conveys the power and inspiring character of Washington, which the sculptor personally experienced nearly 250 years ago.

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