Madame X (Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles)

Auguste Rodin French
Sitter Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 800

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).

#2194. Madame X

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Madame X (Countess Anna-Elizabeth de Noailles), Auguste Rodin (French, Paris 1840–1917 Meudon), Marble, French

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