Bust of Moliere

Description

The Casting Workshop at the Louvre Museum
This bust of Moliere was created by Houdon for the Comédie Française.
To depict Moliere, Houdon took his inspiration from the iconography available to him, especially a portrait by Nicolas Mignard. His head turned to the side, the playwright has an alert gaze above a thin moustache and full lips, his neck framed by the open collar of his shirt.
The necktie is admirably twisted in front, endowing the figure of Moliere with a certain elegance and revealing Houdon’s signature touch.