About this artwork
While living in Paris, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens executed a series of bronze bas-relief portraits of his artist friends, including John Singer Sargent, and this portrayal of the French painter Jules Bastien-Lepage. In contrast to his previous, bust-length plaques, this portrait is a more complex, half-length composition. At Bastien-Lepage’s request, the sculptor incorporated a palette and brushes to conceal the Frenchman’s hands; this amused Saint-Gaudens, who thought it a “rare combination of talent and vanity in his sitter.” The plaque’s frame was designed by Saint-Gaudens’s friend American architect Stanford White.
-
Status
- On View, Gallery 161
-
Department
- Arts of the Americas
-
Artist
- Augustus Saint-Gaudens (Sculptor)
-
Title
- Jules Bastien-Lepage
-
Place
- Paris (Object made in)
-
Date
- Modeled 1880
-
Medium
- Copper with bronze patina
-
Inscriptions
- Inscribed across top: "[I] VLES BASTIEN LEPAGE AETATIS XXXI PARIS MDCCCLXXX AVGVSTVS / SAINT-GAVDENS FECIT"
-
Dimensions
- 37.2 × 27 cm (14 5/8 × 10 5/8 in.)
-
Credit Line
- Gift of Sara Hallowell
-
Reference Number
- 1908.83
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/63171/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.