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Thomas Jefferson

1789
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Upon succeeding Franklin as American minister to France, Jefferson presented his credentials to Louis XVI at Versailles in 1785. While in Paris, he sat for this marble bust by Houdon, a sculptor he regarded highly. Jefferson’s head is slightly tilted, and his eyes, deeply carved below bushy eyebrows, look away from the viewer. Renowned for his lifelike portraits, the artist rendered the sitter dressed and coiffed according to contemporary fashion.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Thomas Jefferson
  • Artist: Jean Antoine Houdon (French, Versailles 1741–1828 Paris)
  • Date: 1789
  • Medium: Marble
  • Dimensions: 22 1/4 × 18 7/8 × 10 1/4 in., 125 lb. (56.5 × 48 × 26 cm, 56.7 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, George Nixon Black Fund (34.129)
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts