Profile Bust of a Young Man 1797 - 1812

"Profile Bust of a Young Man" is a wax relief portrait by John Christian Rauschner, a German-born artist who worked in the United States. Created between 1797 and 1812, the work depicts a young man in profile, wearing a formal coat, and framed in an oval. This small-scale sculpture, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies Rauschner's talent for realistic portraiture in the neoclassical style popular in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The wax relief's intimate scale and detailed rendering evoke a sense of personal connection with the sitter, making it a captivating example of American portraiture.