Madame X (Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles)

Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles|Auguste Rodin

ca. 1907 · Marble · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Eyes half-open, Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles, a Parisian poet, appears suspended in a state of tranquil reverie. The glowing, milky surface of her carved likeness, typical of Rodin’s late marbles, obscures the details of her coiffure and facial features. Displeased with these veiled forms—as well as the prominence given to her nose—the countess rejected the portrait. Three years later, the bust was purchased by the trustees of The Met from the sculptor’s studio with the title Madame X (Lady Unknown).

Artist

Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles|Auguste Rodin

Date

ca. 1907

Medium

Marble

Culture

French

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Thomas F. Ryan, 1910