Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
01.C.58 |
Object Name |
Bust |
Title |
Miniature Bust of Georges Cuvier |
Artist |
Unknown |
Date |
19th c. |
Description |
Miniature bust of man with medium length waved hair. He has a Roman nose and mouth slightly open. He wears a neckcloth and coat. Bust cuts just under the shoulder. On a pedestal with "CUVIER" etched in the center. This object is similar to another miniature bust in the APS collection (01.C.09) marked "BUFFON." |
Label |
The energy and universal interests of Georges Cuvier [Georges Léopold Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier] brought him into association with American naturalists such as Thomas Jefferson and Charles Willson Peale. Unlike the APS’s “colossal” head of Georges Cuvier (58.S.32), the purpose of this miniature bust of the French zoologist and statesman is unclear. It may have been manufactured as a souvenir object or as an accoutrement for a larger ensemble, perhaps a desk or 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 France French |