Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
01.C.09 |
Object Name |
Bust |
Title |
Miniature Bust of Georges-Louis Leclerc, Compte de Buffon |
Artist |
Unknown |
Date |
19th c. |
Description |
Miniature bust of man with medium length hair pulled back, bulbous downturned nose, and a small square jaw. He wears a neckcloth and coat. Bust cuts just under the shoulder. The bust is cast in bronze in two pieces. “BUFFON” is stamped in block letters on the side of the circular base. There are no identifying maker’s marks. This object is similar to another miniature bust in the APS collection (01.C.58) marked “CUVIER”. |
Label |
Georges Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, was elected to the French Académie Royale des Sciences in 1734, and was appointed director of the King's Garden (Jardin du Roi) in Paris in 1740. He is best known for his "Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière" (1749–1804), the first modern attempt to systematically and objectively present all existing knowledge in the fields of natural history, geology, and anthropology in a single publication without reference to religion. The purpose of this small bust remains unclear. It may have been manufactured as a souvenir object, and may also have been created as an accessory for a larger piece, perhaps a desk or a cabinet. Finial busts of renowned literary figures can be traced back to Renaissance Florence, where small metal or marble busts of famous men were used to decorate luxury cabinets. |
Material |
Bronze |
Dimensions |
H-3.5 W-1.25 D-1.25 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century sculpture scientist France French |