AFTER CHARLES CORDIER (FRENCH, 1827-1905): A LIFE-SIZE MARBLE BUST 'MAN FROM SUDAN'

AFTER CHARLES CORDIER (FRENCH, 1827-1905): A LIFE-SIZE MARBLE BUST 'MAN FROM SUDAN'

the solid carved marble bust depicting 'Man from Sudan in Algergian Dress', the original modelled c. 1850, carved in white, grey veined and black marble, the man wearing a turban and raised on a cylindrical socle,

73cm high x 55cm wide

The original silvered bronze, Algerian jasper and porphyry bust is in the The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Gallery 357,

Charles Henri Joseph Cordier excelled in the precise rendering of facial features and embellishments as well as specific dress of different ethnic groups. His portraits show a precision and honesty which was virtually unknown before, without any elements of stereotyping and caricature. Cordier was employed by the Natural History Museum in Paris to portray representatives of the world's most diverse cultures from 1851-1866. His particular interest was for the peoples he encountered during his travels in North Africa. Cordier's use of onyx marble - which was quarried only in Algeria - for the ethnic dress of the Algerian demonstrates that even in his choice of materials he sought to pay homage to the specific culture of his sitters.