Playing with Fire

European sculptors of the Neoclassical period often modeled their works in clay before producing finished pieces in marble. These terracotta models are often more animated and revealing than the finished marbles and provide extraordinary insights into the creative process. This book offers the first comprehensive overview of Neoclassical terracotta models by European artists, featuring the works of Pajou, Houdon, and Canova, among many others. Leading scholars analyse modeling at every stage, from the brusque preliminary impulse to the highly finished statuette that is a work of art in its own right. They also comment on related issues: the model's role in the statuary of great men and in tomb sculpture; the sculptors' depictions of arcadia and the loves of the gods; the centering of activity in Rome, site of the collections of antiquities; and much more. Some 135 terracotta models are presented and reproduced, and short biographies of the artists are also included.
This book is the catalogue for an exhibition that will be on view at the Musee du Louvre, Paris (September 15, 2003 to January 5, 2004); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (January 26 to April 23, 2004); and the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm (May 6 to August 29, 2004).