African Venus

Description Cordier submitted a plaster cast of the bust of an African visitor to Paris to the Salon of 1848, and two years later he again entered it as a bronze (Walters 54.2664). A young African woman served as the model for this companion piece in 1851. Regarded in the 19th century as powerful expressions of nobility and dignity, these sculptures proved to be highly popular: casts were acquired by the Museum of Natural History in Paris and also by Queen Victoria. The Walters' pair were cast by the Paris foundry Eck and Durand in 1852.

Exhibitions

• The Allure of Bronze. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1995.
• Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. 1998-2001.
• A Magnificent Age: Masterpieces from the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte. 2002-2004.
• From Rye to Raphael: The Walters Story. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2014-2016.

Provenance Shepherd Gallery, New York; Walters Art Museum, 1991, by purchase.

Credit Museum purchase, 1991