Thomas Jefferson American President Bust Bronze Finish 12H

Founding Father in Bronze: A Thomas Jefferson Bust

This Thomas Jefferson bust recalls the author of the Declaration of Independence as a Paris sculptor saw him. It stands 12 in high in crushed stone resin with a bronze finish on a black base.

The likeness follows the portrait that Jean-Antoine Houdon modeled in Paris. This small Jefferson bronze bust is a desk sized version of that image.

Product Details

• Material: Hand-cast and hand-finished crushed stone resin
• Finish: Bronze, with a layered hand-applied patina
• Dimensions: 12 in H, including black base
• Style: Founding Father desk bust
• Item Number: 343B_12

Houdon and the Paris Portrait

Houdon always worked from life. He modeled the sitter in soft terra cotta and then took a plaster cast.

Jefferson sat for him in August 1789, while serving as American minister to France. Monticello holds a plaster that keeps its original terra cotta color.

That plaster very likely appeared at the Salon of 1789. It carries the seal of the French Royal Academy.

The Man Behind the Bust

By then Jefferson had drafted the Declaration of Independence and served as governor of Virginia. He later became vice president and then president for two terms.

He founded and designed the University of Virginia. He retired to Monticello and died on July 4, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration was adopted.

A Founding Father desk bust like this one sits well beside other portraits from our American Presidents Collection.

Display and Care

At 12 in tall, the Thomas Jefferson bust suits a desk, shelf, or bookcase. Dust this Jefferson desk sculpture with a soft dry cloth. Keep it out of damp air and strong sun. As a small Jefferson bronze bust, it is easy to move.

Jean-Antoine Houdon in Brief

Jefferson judged Houdon the finest sculptor of his age. Houdon portrayed Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson, and his versions remain the standard images of those men. Houdon's version gives this Thomas Jefferson bust its look. A Jefferson desk sculpture of this kind keeps that portrait close.

For More Reading from the Web

• See how Houdon built the Jefferson portrait in terra cotta and plaster, and where the originals sit today. Houdon Bust of Thomas Jefferson - Monticello
• The Met surveys Houdon's portraits of American leaders, with Jefferson among them. Benjamin Franklin by Houdon - The Metropolitan Museum of Art