Hand patined reproduction. Mould made from a print of the original work exhibited at the Palace of Versailles.
This sculpture is now presented on the mantelpiece of the Queen's chamber at Versailles.
This reproduction was produced from a cast made using the 3D impression technique from the original conserved at Versailles. It was then patinated by hand, a complicated procedure that requires excellence of gesture and mastery of advanced techniques.
Marie-Antoinette knew how to surround herself with the most talented artists of the time, such as Félix Lecomte who made her bust in Carrara marble in 1783.
The Queen of France is represented in all the dignity of her position. She is draped in a floral royal coat and lined with ermine. Her high wig, in the style of the time, is enriched with flowers, including a finely worked rose, held by a ribbon. On her neck, the sovereign wears a medallion with the profile of Louis XVI.
Queen for nine years and mother of two children, Marie-Antoinette is only twenty-eight years old. The artist reveals the freshness of her youth in the graceful headdress and the light smile on her face.
Critics of the time praised this tour de force: "The sculptor seems to have reserved all the art, all the precision, all the softness of his chisel for the queen's bust, represented in her ceremonial clothing. ...] Grace and nobility cannot be united in a higher degree on a physiognomy. »
