Portrait of Madame de Sérilly, 1780
Jean-Antoine Houdonexpand_more
Marbleexpand_more
Gift of Mrs. John Barry Ryanexpand_more 75.30
Not on Viewexpand_more
Youth, beauty, wealth: Madame de Sérilly had it all. She was just 17 when Jean-Antoine Houdon, the foremost French portrait sculptor of the day, captured her in marble on the occasion of her marriage. But the marriage was short-lived. Her husband was executed during the French Revolution for supporting the royal family; Mme de Sérilly, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie-Antoinette, was imprisoned. She would marry twice more after her release, but at 36 she succumbed to smallpox. Houdon fared better: His fame brought him to the United States, where he sculpted busts of George Washington and other American political figures.
Details
- Title
- Portrait of Madame de Sérilly
- Artist Life
- 1741-1828
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 75.30
- Curator Approved
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