Jean-Pons-Guillaume Viennet c. 1832 - 1930

Honoré Daumier sculpted this bronze bust of Jean-Pons-Guillaume Viennet. The surface is heavily worked, with pronounced ridges and deep crevices catching light and shadow, endowing the figure with a sense of dynamism. Daumier employed a rough, almost violent modelling technique. This brings to mind the concept of "matière," where the physical substance of the artwork becomes a central focus. The bust is not merely a representation of Viennet, but an exploration of the bronze itself. The intentional roughness destabilizes traditional notions of idealized portraiture, opting instead for a raw, immediate representation. The bust challenges the formal conventions of sculpture, inviting us to reconsider the relationship between material, form, and subject. This work functions as a commentary on the nature of representation. It prompts ongoing interpretation and re-evaluation of art's capacity to reflect reality.