Bust of Voltaire at The Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris

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Voltaire was a renowned figure throughout Europe for his relentless stream of brilliant polemics that mercilessly mocked organized religion and other institutions that brutally suppressed personal freedom. Although this included most national governments of the time, he was courted by "enlightened monarchs" such as Frederick the Great of Prussia and Empress Catherine of Russia, each of whom acquired versions of his striking bust. Repeatedly banished from Paris for his numerous offending publications, Voltaire spent the last decades of his life in Ferney, a small village on the Swiss border. Houdon modeled Voltaire's portrait shortly after the celebrated exile's triumphant return to Paris in early 1778, just a few months before his death. Immortalizing the aged Voltaire's physical frailty and sardonic expression, the bust was widely acclaimed as the most accurate likeness ever made of him. Crowds flocked to Houdon's studio to view the work and the enterprising sculptor soon began to produce the portrait in a variety of formats (different hairstyles and dress) and a wide range of materials (marble, bronze, plaster, and terracotta). Several examples in this particularly classical format (which parallels that of the Diderot bust, 1974.291) are known. With his bald, bony skull, bare chest, and simple truncation, it is clearly meant to emulate portraits of Roman antiquity. The present bust was one of several Houdon portraits acquired in Paris by Count Alexander Stroganov. The Russian expatriate had visited Voltaire in Ferney in 1770, en route to Paris, and once in the capital he soon became acquainted with Houdon. They were both affiliated with the Masonic lodge of the Nine Sisters (to which Houdon donated another copy of the Voltaire). Stroganov had already commissioned Houdon's portrait of the empress Catherine (now in the Hermitage), which, along with the present bust and that of Diderot, was for many years displayed in the Stroganov Palace Museum in Saint Petersburg. (source; metropolitan museum of art. scanned from a cast at the atelier des moulages, RMN) This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open-source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)