Head of Marquis de Lafayette (Lafayette Monument, Paris, France)

Copied Paul Wayland Bartlett, Head of Marquis de Lafayette (Lafayette Monument, Paris, France), modeled 1899-1907, bronze, 12 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄8 x 9 3⁄4 in. (32.3 x 21.3 x 24.7 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III, 1958.11.8
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Head of Marquis de Lafayette (Lafayette Monument, Paris, France)
Artist
Date
modeled 1899-1907
Location
Dimensions
12 3⁄4 x 8 3⁄8 x 9 3⁄4 in. (32.3 x 21.3 x 24.7 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Armistead Peter III
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — military
  • Study — sculpture model
  • Portrait male — Lafayette, Marquis De — head
Object Number
1958.11.8
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1958.11.8

Artwork Description

This sculpture is a reduced version of the head of Paul Wayland Bartlett’s Lafayette on Horseback, which was unveiled on July 4, 1900, at the Louvre Museum as a gift from America to France. It was customary in the nineteenth century for sculptors to supplement their incomes by making replicas and multiple versions of their work. A sculptor might produce a miniature reproduction or replicate part of a larger work, such as a head, to stand in for the monumental sculpture. These replicas and versions were not seen as inferior to the original, and could be purchased by private individuals for their homes or displayed in museums.