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Voltaire

Jean-Antoine Houdon · 1781

A 1781 marble sculpture of Voltaire seated in an armchair, made for Catherine the Great of Russia.

This sculpture of Voltaire, commissioned by Catherine the Great, shows his fame and reverence across Europe.

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Sepia photograph of a white marble seated sculpture of an elderly man with receding hair, wearing a draped robe, hands resting on the arms of a chair, with a slight smile. Ornate arch and a dark framed painting in the background.
Jean-Antoine Houdon, Voltaire, marble sculpture, 1781. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

About this source

What it is

This marble sculpture of Voltaire, seated in an armchair, was made by the French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon in 1781. It was commissioned by Empress Catherine II of Russia and acquired directly from the sculptor; it is now held at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

Why it matters

The statue shows how far Voltaire's fame had spread beyond France: a Russian empress wanted a lifelike sculpture of him for her own collection. It reflects the respect European rulers had for Enlightenment philosophers, and how Voltaire's image was shaped to appear wise, calm and approachable in his old age.

Look closer

  • What does Voltaire's pose and expression suggest the sculptor wanted viewers to feel about him?
  • Why might a powerful ruler like Catherine II want a statue of a philosopher in her collection?
  • What might a sculpture leave out that a written biography could include?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Voltaire on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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