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Joseph Chinard

Bust of Madame Récamier
Now On View

Maker

Joseph Chinard (French, 1756-1813)

Title

Bust of Madame Récamier

Year

1805-1812

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

marble

Dimensions

60.6 x 33.7 x 23.5 cm (23 7/8 x 13 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed, right side of pedestal:Chinard de Lyon

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Harold Brown

Object Number

37.201

Type

Publications

Articles

Hidden Beauty
Hand of the Maker

Exhibition History

European Galleries
Sep 02, 2017

Label copy

The subject of this bust, Juliette Récamier (1777–1849), appears with downcast eyes and a faint smile. Her upswept hair, circled by a wide band and held with a jeweled comb, represents Neoclassical feminine elegance. One of several versions carved from life by Joseph Chinard, this marble bust emphasizes Récamier’s beauty and modesty. Chinard trained as a painter at Paris’s Royal Design School (École Royale de Dessin) before becoming a sculptor.

Madame Récamier was celebrated for hosting a diverse circle of artists, intellectuals, and politicians at receptions at her home in Paris. These informal gatherings encouraged the exchange of ideas and opinions. On one occasion she rehearsed a lively French court dance choreographed by Auguste Vestris, whose portrait hangs nearby. 

–Maureen C. O’Brien, Frank Robinson Curator of Painting and Sculpture

Intermission
Dec 16, 2016 – Jul 02, 2017
Dress, Art, and Society
1750-1890
Sep 13, 1996 – Jan 05, 1997
Carvings, Casts, & Replicas
Nineteenth-Century Sculpture from Europe & America in New England Collections
Feb 10, 1995 – Apr 23, 1995
The Age of Canova
Nov 06, 1957 – Dec 15, 1957

Image use

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

Tombstone

Joseph Chinard (French, 1756-1813)
Bust of Madame Récamier, 1805-1812
Marble
60.6 x 33.7 x 23.5 cm (23 7/8 x 13 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Harold Brown 37.201

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