Historic Portrait Methods

 

 

 Brian and Joseph sculpting at President Wasingtons Home Mount Vernon

 

 

 

 

The Virginia General Assembly commissioned a statue in 1784 to honor George Washington. America’s ambassador in Paris, Thomas Jefferson, recommended sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon of the French court. Houdon the preeminent sculptor of the time, traveled to the United States putting off a sitting with Catherine the Great of Russia. In the autumn of 1785 he reached Mount Vernon and stayed three weeks with the soon to be president fifty-three-year-old George Washington.    Houdon modeled a clay bust of Washington, still on display at Mount Vernon. The artist also cast a life mask. He covered the generals’ face in plaster, the subject breathing through straws. Houdon removed the hardened plaster, and used it to cast an impression of Washington’s face. That mask is at the Morgan Library in New York City. Houdon delivered a life-size statue of Washington to Richmond Virginia in 1796 this is considered on of the finest portraits of the first president. One of our preparatory steps is to cast the model’s face it is their very their exactness and realness that makes the cast so useful, in many ways more helpful than the actual model. We can refer to the cast at any time night or day and for as long as needed. The cast can be studied from all angles and touched for perspective. Whether the final portrait is life size, miniature or considerably larger than life the cast allows for a unique opportunity to seek perspective realism not available through photographs or sittings alone. Because life masks are very helpful for anatomical reference it is a recommended method. Thanks to modern improvements there is no longer a need to follow Michelangelo or Houdon applying plaster directly to the model. Instead the most suitable material for general use is alginate, which is essentially powdered kelp. Alginate is absolutely harmless to the skin, the detail is good, and it is relatively cost effective for the time it saves. The process takes only a few minutes and can help progress the quality of the final sculpture. Modern technology only making the historic methods more convenient not obsolete. In October 2006 we sculpted a handful of very special sculptures at Mount Vernon, the last artist to work here was Jean Antoine Houdon when he sculpted Washington in 1785, each very special original sculpture was created with a mix of whitestone and soil from Mount Vernon and the White House. It was an unbelievable month as we worked we were becoming part of history, sculpting at President Washington’s home Mount Vernon or the Cunningham and Dinningroom of the west wing our time in Washington will forever be a highlight of our career. 

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