I’ve been to the Met many times but every time I go, I see something I hadn’t seen before. This small sculpture of a baby caught my eye because i have a strange obsession with babies and dogs. The marble sculpture is named Sabine Houdon and was made by her father Jean–Antoine Houdon in 1788. From the intricacies of the carving, the relationship between artist and subject is sensed. The details of Sabine’s softly tousled hair and the gentle folds of skin around her armpits show that the artist knew every detail of her little body. He understood the fragile skin of an infant and carved the hard marble bust in a way that the viewer can imagine how Sabine’s gentle skin really was. I think it’s a very interesting concept that when you look at something, you can tell who made it by the details seen.
I love how all the sculptures are detailed yet very delicate. I missed this exhibit because I wasn’t interested in seeing sculptures but now I regret it. There’s something really serene about this one. I feel that it’s very rare to see sculptures of babies. We usually see sculptures of adults or famous/rich aristocrats. I love that the sculptor chose this subject. The simplicity and beauty that time period of someone’s life mirrors that of the sculpture.
It’s a little challenging to find this sculpture because it’s small and it’s in a case. It’s next to the sculpture hall and if you go on the Met website and look up the sculpture, the number of the gallery it’s in will come up and you can find that on the map when you go. In the case is bust sculptures of his other daughters too. It’s a really cool way he chose to show his art skills by making his children.
I too have a strange (artistic) obsession with dogs and babies! And I have always loved the sculpture you chose. I am an artist and have done many drawings and paintings of babies and dogs, and I think there is a purity and innocence about both. I loved your very sensitive description of the work.
If you are interested, I invite you to have a look at my website, http://www.robingaynesbachman.com and you will see under ‘oils’ babies- and click on the detail, because that will show how they are constructed, or painted. They take about a year to complete, and to have the focus on purity for that length of time is really a gift. And under mixed media work, click on dogs- they are abundant! Made of vinyl and glitter, very un-traditional! When I read your sentence about your odd obsession, I had to leave a reply! I thank you for writing such a sweet and sensitive piece! Sincerely, robin gaynes-bachman
I agree. Even through this photo, I can see the fine details you mentioned above. It’s amazing to think that a human is capable of this and makes you wonder how they acquire these amazing skills.