Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière
French, 1831–1900
Study for the "Monument to Balzac"
1898
This sculpture is a clay study for a marble monument to Honoré de Balzac, one of the most celebrated French authors of the nineteenth century. Balzac is shown dressed in the long robe he wore while writing. The broad masses of the body were modeled quite rapidly, and marks made by the artist’s tools and fingers are still visible on the surface of the clay. Balzac’s face is more detailed, his thoughtful expression suggesting a creative imagination at work.
| Medium | unfired clay on a shaped wood modeling board |
| Dimensions | 28 9/16 x 14 9/16 x 16 3/4 in. (72.5 x 37 x 42.5 cm) |
| Object Number | 2003.12 |
| Acquisition | Acquired by the Clark, 2003 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière, Study for the "Monument to Balzac", 1898, unfired clay on a shaped wood modeling board. Clark Art Institute, Acquired by the Clark, 2003.12
Select Bibliography
Rand, Richard. "Recent Acquisitions (19942005) at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute." The Burlington Magazine 147, no. 1225 (April 2005): 293300.
