Portrait of a Young Boy
Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguière
French, 1831–1900

Details
Title
Portrait of a Young Boy
Artist/Maker
Jean-Alexandre-Joseph Falguière (French, 1831–1900)
Date
ca. 1870
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
18 1/4 x 10 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from the Phoenix Society
Accession #
1996.4
On View
Currently not on view
Although the work of Falguière—a contemporary and competitor of Auguste Rodin—is little known today, he was considered one the greatest sculptors of his time. Portrait of a Young Boy stands out in Falguière’s oeuvre because it seems to be a privately commissioned work by an artist whose private practice is virtually unknown. Additionally, the classical simplicity of this portrait is quite different from his known depictions of children, which typically pictured the subject as tousled, soft-cheeked, and impish. This portrait is based on ancient prototypes such as Roman portraits of Caesar Augustus. The style is static, refined, and classically inspired.
Browse Related Artwork

Burk Uzzle

Lewis Hine

Hemba Artist, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Niccolò di Segna

Robert Colescott

Emmet Gowin

Louis John Rhead

Gordon Hope Grant

Bill Traylor

Allen Jones