Facing the Other: Charles Cordier (1827-1905) – Laure de Margerie Snelle Levering

Under the Second Empire in France, Cordier received several assignments in North Africa and there he completed “scientific” busts that were just as much works of art. His busts in silver or gilt bronze, onyx and coloured marble are delicate gems, reflecting Cordier’s interest in other civilizations, most notably African. The Musee d’Orsay in Paris has organized an unprecedented international exhibition of Cordier’s work, highlighting seventy-five sculptures and approximately forty ethnographic photographs. …