Portrait of a Man (Jerome Bonaparte?)

Circle of Lorenzo Bartolini (1777-1850)
19th century, White marble

Acquired for the collection together with another bust, a female portrait assumed to be that of Carlotta Bonaparte, this impeccably rendered sculpture is attributed to the atelier of the artist Lorenzo Bartolini and is presumed to be a portrait of Jerome Bonaparte. Napoleon's youngest brother, Jerome was appointed by the Emperor as King of Westphalia in 1807; he married Catherine of Württemberg, a fine woman who remained at his side throughout his wandering life, despite the numerous mistresses and the many children he had out of wedlock. Numerous portraits of him are known, and this works shows a particular affinity with the large marble statue in the Fesch Museum in Ajaccio, by François-Joseph Bosio.