Clodion

Clodion (1738-1814), born Claude Michel, was a French sculptor celebrated for his small-scale Rococo terracotta figures. Born into a family of sculptors in Nancy, he trained in Paris and won the Prix de Rome in 1759. He spent nearly a decade in Rome, where ancient reliefs of bacchanalian scenes became his primary inspiration.

Clodion specialized in playful, sensuous statuettes of nymphs, satyrs, and bacchantes, modeled with a spontaneity and warmth that made terracotta feel more alive than marble. While larger commissions eluded him during the Revolution and Napoleonic era, his small works were prized by collectors. Our collection includes 6 works at the Cleveland Museum of Art.