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Voltaire

Jean Antoine Houdon · 1778

A marble bust of Voltaire made from life in 1778 by the renowned sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon.

A bust made from life in 1778, considered one of the most reliable portraits of Voltaire's features.

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White marble bust of an elderly man with a bald head, smiling with a wry expression, mounted on a dark gray marble pedestal against a blue background.
Jean Antoine Houdon, Voltaire, 1778. Marble. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This marble bust of Voltaire was created in 1778 by Jean Antoine Houdon, a sculptor known for portraying Voltaire from life. It is now held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, purchased with a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman in 1972.

Why it matters

Because Houdon worked from life, this bust is considered one of the most reliable likenesses of Voltaire that survives. The wry, smiling expression captured by the sculptor has shaped how later generations imagine Voltaire's wit and personality.

Look closer

  • What does the facial expression suggest about the sculptor's view of Voltaire's character?
  • Why might a sculpture made from life be considered more reliable than one made after a person's death?
  • What details in the bust hint at Voltaire's age in 1778, the year he died?

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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