Bronze bust of a woman with regal expression, hair in twists, gold earrings, beaded necklaces adorning her collarbones, and a dark tightly-wrapped strapless top on a gold base.

Close-up of right bronze cheek and ear displaying a chunky gold earring of clustered, bullet-shaped forms dangling near dark bronze intricate coiled hair.

Close-up of left bronze cheek and ear displaying a chunky gold earring of clustered bullet-shaped forms dangling near dark bronze intricately coiled hair.

Bronze bust of a woman with poised expression, raised chin, hair in twists, gold earrings, beaded necklaces accentuating her exposed collarbones and bare shoulders above a strapless tightly-wrapped dark top.

Side view of a bronze bust of a woman with regal expression, hair in twists swept back, gold earrings, and shoulders exposed in a wrapped top mounted on a gold base.

Rear-left angle view of a bronze bust highlighting hair in twists and sculpted, curved shoulder blades exposed above a dark strapless top cut off diagonally and mounted on a gold base.

Bronze bust of a woman gazing downwards with hair in twists, gold earrings, beaded necklaces, adorning her collarbones above a dark strapless tightly-wrapped top mounted on a gold base.

Back view of a bronze bust highlighting hair in twists and sculpted shoulder blades exposed above a dark strapless top cut off diagonally and mounted on a gold base.

Bronze bust of a woman with raised chin, hair in twists, gold earrings, beaded necklaces, and shoulders exposed in a strapless wrapped dark top mounted on a gold base.

Close-up of bronze chest with twisted beaded necklaces with leaf charm resting on exposed collarbones above a dark strapless tightly-wrapped cloth top.

Back view of a bronze bust featuring hair in twists swept back and shoulder blades accentuated above a dark strapless top cut off diagonally and mounted on a gold base.

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Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier

African Venus (La Vénus africaine)

Maker

Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier (French, 1827-1905)

Title

African Venus (La Vénus africaine)

Year

ca. 1851

Medium

Bronze with silver and gold patination

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Bronze with silver and gold patination

Materials

marble, bronze, gilding, silver

Dimensions

51.1 x 21.6 x 16.5 cm (20 1/8 x 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

1995.013

Type

Sculpture

Publications

Journal

Manual / Issue 12: On Further Review

The RISD Museum’s twelfth issue of Manual focuses on uncovering narratives that were once central to objects’ histories but now have been systematically obscured, inadvertently overlooked, or otherwise lost.

Books

Selected Works

Articles

Hidden Beauty

Seeking Visibility

Exhibition History

Raid the Icebox Now with Nicole Eisenman

Tonight We Are Going Out And We Are All Getting Hammered

Nov 01, 2019 – May 01, 2021

Intermission

Dec 16, 2016 – Jul 02, 2017

Label copy

Modeled from life in the artist’s studio in Paris, this sculpture would have appealed to predominantly European audiences drawn to exoticized versions of other cultures. The model’s heavy-lidded eyes, parted lips, and lightweight drapery reinforce such stereotypes, but the realism and carriage of her head create a strong impression of individuality and dignity.

Cordier’s sculptures often incorporated colored stone and precious metal finishes. Here, warm skin tones are evoked by the use of a fine silver patina over the bronze cast.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier (French, 1827-1905)

African Venus (La Vénus africaine), ca. 1851

Bronze with silver and gold patination