WikiDwarfBOT: robot: add new article

2023-07-22T09:30:10Z

robot: add new article

New page

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox artwork
| image_file = maingwpic.jpg
| painting_alignment =
| image_size = 300px
| title = George Washington (Houdon)
| alt =
| other_language_1 =
| other_title_1 =
| other_language_2 =
| other_title_2 =
| artist = Copy of Houdon bust
| year = {{Start date|1932}}
| type = bust, sculpture
| height_metric =
| width_metric =
| length_metric =
| height_imperial = 25
| width_imperial = 18
| length_imperial = 18
| diameter__metric =
| diameter_imperial =
| imperial_unit = in
| metric_unit = cm
| city = Indianapolis
| museum = Indiana Statehouse
| owner = Indiana Historical Bureau
}}

'''''George Washington (bust by Houdon)''''' is a public artwork that is a limited edition copy of an original [[George Washington (Houdon)|work]] by French [[Neoclassical sculpture|neoclassical]] sculptor [[Jean Antoine Houdon]]<ref name="advocate">Bloom, Sol. "The George Washington Bicentennial Celebration." Advocate of Peace through Justice 93.3 (1931): 162–65. Print.</ref> that is on display inside the [[Indiana Statehouse]], which is located in [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, United States. The artwork was cast a solid piece of [[plaster]] that has been painted white.<ref name="statehouse inventory">Fletcher, S., and T. Cromwell. File://C{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}:Documents and SettingstcromwellLocal SettingsTempxgprn.htm. Indianapolis, September 25, 2006. HTM.{{full|date=November 2012}}</ref>

==Description==
This piece is a bust of the first President of the United States, [[George Washington]]. It is made of white plaster, and its dimensions are {{convert|25|in|cm|sp=us}} by {{convert|18|in|cm|sp=us}} by {{convert|18|in|cm|sp=us}}.<ref name="statehouse inventory"/> Washington is portrayed in a [[toga]] type drape, gazing upward to the proper left. Washington has no facial lines, and his hair is swept to the rear of his head in a pony tail. On the rear of the bust's base an inscription that reads "1732–1932 George Washington Bicentennial Commission." This bust is a copy of an original bust created from life by French sculptor Houdon.

==Historical information==
George Washington was one of the [[Founding Fathers of the United States]], and the First President of the United States. Washington was a statesman, soldier, and [[surveying|surveyor]]. He was also the [[Commander-in-chief]] the [[US Army|Army]] from June 15, 1775, to December 23, 1783, then again from July 3, 1798, to December 14, 1798. Washington was elected President of the United States and served in that role from April 30, 1789, until March 3, 1797.<ref name="statehouse inventory"/>

The original bust was sculpted by French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon in 1785 at George Washington's home, [[Mount Vernon]], in [[Virginia]]. It is believed that Washington posed for the original sculpture. This bust was used as the primary image of George Washington for the Bicentennial Celebration of the first president's birthday in 1932, which was held from February 22 until [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] of the same year. The [[inscription]] on the rear of the bust refers to the Bicentennial Commission that was formed to oversee the celebration. The chief executive officer of the Commission was the Honorable [[Sol Bloom]], who was a member of the [[US Congress]] from [[New York State]]. President [[Herbert Hoover]] was the chairman of the commission.<ref name="advocate"/>

The legal status of this piece is the Statehouse Inventories, and the credit line is through the [[Indiana Historical Bureau]] with an identification number of 99.2006.020.0069.<ref name="statehouse inventory"/>

===Location history===
Originally, this piece was sighted as being placed in an [[alcove (architecture)|alcove]] on the second floor of the Statehouse building,{{clarify|reason=What does "piece was sighted as being placed" mean? As I read it, it means that the piece was originally see (sighted) as being placed in an alcove"... which makes no sense. Do you mean "cited"? If so, who cited that it was in this place? Or do you mean "sited"? In which case, all of "as being placed" is just redundant verbiage.|date=February 2011}} on the outside of the [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]]. It also used to have a [[bronze]] nameplate underneath.<ref name="statehouse inventory"/> Currently, the piece sits in an alcove on the 4th floor of the Indiana Statehouse, and the bronze name plate is not currently being displayed with the bust.

==Artist==
{{Main|Jean Antoine Houdon}}

Jean Antoine Houdon was born March 20, 1742, in [[Versailles (city)|Versailles]]. He was a sculptor in the Neoclassical style and is considered to be the most famous sculptor of the latter half of the 18th century in France.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jean-Antoine Houdon|author=New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07499a.htm|accessdate=December 4, 2010|archive-date=July 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709205943/http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07499a.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Houdon was famous for his busts and portrait statues of inventors, [[philosophers]], and [[political figure]]s of the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]]. Houdon also created sculptures of other famous American founding fathers, including [[Benjamin Franklin]] and [[Thomas Jefferson]].

==Condition==
The current condition of the sculpture is good, per assessment completed in April 2006.<ref name="statehouse inventory"/>

==See also==
* [[Abraham Lincoln (Jones)]]
* [[Ashbel Parsons Willard (Dexter)]]
* [[Daniel W. Voorhees (Voorhees)]]
* [[George Rogers Clark (McLary)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5222138780/ Photograph of bust in context of alcove and rotunda].
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5222137748/ Close up photo of proper right of bust].
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5222132330/ Detail photo of proper right of bust].
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5221531549/ Detail photo of rear base inscription].
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5222129418/ Detail photo proper left of bust].
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/54034595@N02/5221521709/in/photostream/ Photo of bust in alcove-note bronze descriptive plate absent].
* [http://corsair.themorgan.org/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?SC=Title&SEQ=20101203181629&PID=S5yM_YirikBV6R2Mu80fgdH9xemt&SA=George+Washington%27s+Life+Mask The Morgan Library Collections-Catalogue entry for George Washington's living mask created by Houdon].
* [http://artcyclopedia.com/artists/houdon_jean-antoine.html Photos and information on other artworks by Houdon]
* [http://artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/artist/136 The Art Institute of Chicago]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110607122135/http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artMakerDetails?maker=540&page=1 The J. Paul Getty Museum]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101208041250/http://www.in.gov/idoa/2371.htm Indiana Statehouse Tour Office]
* [http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2003-06-Houdon-Ecorche.html l'Écorché (Flayed Man) by Houdon]
* [http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jahd/hd_jahd.htm The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
* [http://www.mountvernon.org/ Mount Vernon]

{{coord|39.76848|-86.16254|type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-IN|display=title}}

[[Category:1932 sculptures]]
[[Category:Busts in Indiana]]
[[Category:Busts of presidents of the United States]]
[[Category:George Washington in art]]
[[Category:Indiana Statehouse Public Art Collection]]
[[Category:Plaster sculptures in the United States]]
[[Category:Public art in the United States]]
[[Category:Sculptures of men in Indiana]]

{{George Washington}}
{{IndianaStateHousePublicArt}}

George Washington (copy of bust by Houdon) - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT: robot: add new article