M. Raoul Perrin, grandson of Claudine Houdon
Jacques Doucet
His sale, Paris, 6 June 1912, no.114 (illus.)
Acquired by Marius Paulme for Edouard Noetzlin
Collection M. Edouard Noetzlin

Paris, Exposition du Centenaire du Houdon, Galeries Buvelot, 5 June - 5 July 1928

Exposition du Centenaire du Houdon, Galeries Buvelot, Paris, 5 June - 5 July 1928, p. 47, no. 40
G. Giacometti, La vie et l'oeuvre de Houdon, Paris, 1928, vol. II, p. 81
A. L. Poulet, Jean-Antoine Houdon. Sculptor of the Enlightenment (exh.cat.), Washington, Los Angeles and Versailles, 2003, no. 18, p. 142

General surface abrasions, scratches, and some chipping throughout (including some edges of drapery). Abrasion and minor restoration to tip of nose and center of top lip. Minor fill to chip on back of head and minor repair to top edge of some drapery folds. Most of this is clearly visible in catalogue images. Part of red wax workshop seal lacking. Needs cleaning. Beautifully modelled and very stable condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Claudine Houdon was the third daughter of the renowned French 18^th century sculptor, Jean-Antoine Houdon, born 27 October 1791.

Houdon was fond of sculpting the likenesses of his children and many of these busts, like the present portrait, belonged to the sculptor’s descendants who may have purchased them at the sale of a portion of the contents of his studio in 1795. Other examples of this composition are known in plaster (Musée Carnavalet), terracotta and one in marble, now the in the Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts. Few models of his children were specifically mentioned in the Salon exhibition catalogues but Poulet (op. cit., p. 139) notes “a bust of a child in plaster” (no. 123) in the cata☂logue of the Salon of 1793 which was 𒅌likely to be that of Claudine.

The subtlety of the modelling seen here and the careful treatment of Cla🍒udine’s supple flesh are distinguishing characteristics of Houdon’s oeuvre.