3-015-563 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Bust Of A Man, 1791. An inscription on the back of this plaster bust, translated from French, reads: “By Pajou Citizen of the City of Paris 1791.” It makes no mention of the sitter’s name, and though his identity remains unknown, he has remarkably individualized features and an engaging expression. While his hair is long and formally styled, he wears his shirt unbuttoned and his cloak casually draped, in keeping with the fashion in post-Revolutionary France.