Le Baiser donné is without doubt Jean-Antoine Houdon’s most erotically charged composition. Originally conceived in circa 1772, when Houdon sent a plaster version to the duke of Saxe-Gotha in Germany, this highly ingenious double-bust depicts two idealised young lovers bound by a chain of roses in a sensual embrace. The visual vocabulary that Houdon used in the conception of this group is rich and symbolic; the boy’s hair is tied in a ribbon, the girl’s is braided and bound by a string of pearls, combined they are the symbolic attributes of Venus and imply the idea of Profane Love.
Dimensions: 12″H x 7″L. All dimensions are approximate.
This statue is cast in the finest American bronze using the superior lost wax method, finished in a multi-color patina and mounted on a black marble base with an etched brass plate that bears the name of the statue and the artist. Marble base on all statues is optional but included, please let us know if you don’t want your statue mounted on a marble base.
Made to order, please allow 4-8 weeks for production and delivery.
Color Choices – The standard way we cast many of our sculptures is with what we refer to as multi-color patina. However, we can also make the entire sculpture classic statuary green (verdigris) or brown for a more traditional look. Both patinas are very nice and weather the same. Color selection is more a matter of customer preference.
