The bisque head on this lamp is of Louise Brongniart (1772-1845). This scuplture was made by Camille Tharaud in Limoges, France, and is a recasting of the original by Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828). The Houdon sculpture dates from 1777 and is of
Louise, the five year old daughter of the distinguished Parisian architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart.
Houdon was famous for his statues of Washington & Napolean. He was
a key artist in moving sculpture from Idealism to Realism. This is captured in this bust where Louise`s liveliness is portrayed over empty sentimentality. Prior to Houdon`s work, busts of children had been very rare. This reflected the new new popularity of realism and childhood in art.
Houdon presented the original teracota bust along with one of Louise`s brother at the 1777 Salon in Paris.
The original bust was purchased by the Louvre from the Brongniart family in 1898. In this bust,
Louise`s irises are deeply hollowed out, the resulting shadow imparting a darker, more serious look. The sculptor has left a small element in relief at the edge of the pupil to catch the light, which heightens the life-like nature of the gaze.
The smooth surfaces and serious look on her face lend such a serene feeling to this world renowned work. She is beautiful from any angle, the sign of a true masterpiece.
This bisque copy of Louise was produced by Camille Tharaud (1878-1956). The Tharaud shop operated between 1920 to 1968 in Limoges France. Camille Tharaud is the subject of the book `Art Deco Limoges`.
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