The famous French writer and philosopher Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet, 1694-1778) sat for Houdon when he was already eighty-four years old. The sculptor depicted a very old man, emphasizing every line on his face, the toothless mouth and the withered fingers. Yet Houdon managed to achieve something beyond anyone but an artistic genius -- to convey the keen mind and inner fire that endured in Voltaire until the end. The sculpture was commissioned by Catherine II who considered herself a pupil of the great philosopher. It was sent to Russia in 1784 and installed with honours in the Grotto at Tsarskoye Selo, together with other sculptural works from the Empress's collection. In 1805 it was installed in the lower floor of the Raphael Loggias block, where the books from Voltaire's library were then kept. A variant of the statue adorns the foyer of the Comédie Française theatre in Paris.