Winter

The composition of this figure, one of Houdon’s most arresting nude figures, may date as early as 1781, when Houdon proposed to make pendant figures of winter and summer. A small terracotta for Winter in the Mus�e Fabre, Montpellier, appears to be his first essay in the subject. Winter (also called La Frileuse) is conceived as a nude woman who has pulled a shawl over head and torso, leaving her naked from the waist down. Summer wears a shift and holds a sheaf of wheat and a watering can. Marble versions of Winter and its pendant were exhibited at the Salon of 1783 Both marbles are now in the Mus�e Fabre. The bronze version was cast in 1787, a date inscribed on the base.

Houdon conveys a strong sense of the bitterness of winter’s weather, but also gave him a golden opportunity to reveal a girl’s naked charms. The revelation of the nude female body is what makes Winter so attractive in marble, bronze, and other versions - as alluring from behind as from the front.