Jean Baptiste Clésinger, called Auguste
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Jean Baptiste Clésinger, called Auguste (1814-1883) was a French sculptor whose career was defined by the scandalous success of his 1847 Salon debut, Woman Bitten by a Snake. The "Auguste" nickname distinguished him from his father, also a sculptor. Born in Besançon, he trained in his father's workshop and in Rome before making his mark in Paris.
Beyond the famous nude, Clésinger produced portrait busts, religious works, and equestrian subjects over a long career. His bust of George Sand, his former mother-in-law, is in the Musée Carnavalet. Though critics debated whether his realism was artistry or mere technical trickery, his best works demonstrate genuine skill in capturing the vitality of human form.
Sculptures by Jean Baptiste Clésinger, called Auguste
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About Jean Baptiste Clésinger, called Auguste
The name 'Auguste' distinguished him from his father, the sculptor George-Philippe Clésinger. It was a working name rather than a formal middle name, common in French artistic families to avoid confusion between generations.
Key works are at the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre in Paris. His bust of George Sand is at the Musée Carnavalet, also in Paris.
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