▁ ▁Background ▁Marie ▁T uss aud ▁was ▁born ▁as ▁Marie ▁Gro sh olt z ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 1 ▁in ▁Str as bourg , ▁France . ▁Her ▁mother ▁worked ▁for ▁Philippe ▁Cur ti us ▁in ▁Bern , ▁Switzerland , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁phys ician ▁sk illed ▁in ▁w ax ▁model ing . ▁Cur ti us ▁taught ▁T uss aud ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁w ax ▁mod elling ▁beginning ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁child . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Paris ▁and ▁took ▁his ▁young ▁app rent ice , ▁then ▁only ▁ 6 ▁years ▁old , ▁with ▁him . ▁ ▁Gro sh olt z ▁created ▁her ▁first ▁w ax ▁sculpt ure ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 7 ▁of ▁Vol taire . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 7 , ▁she ▁became ▁the ▁art ▁t utor ▁to ▁Madame ▁Elizabeth , ▁the ▁sister ▁of ▁King ▁Louis ▁XVI ▁of ▁France , ▁at ▁the ▁Palace ▁of ▁Vers a illes . ▁During ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution , ▁she ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁three ▁months ▁and ▁await ing ▁execution , ▁but ▁was ▁released ▁after ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁an ▁influ ential ▁friend . ▁Other ▁famous ▁people ▁whom ▁she ▁model led ▁included ▁Jean - Jac ques ▁R ous seau ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin . ▁During ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁she ▁made ▁models ▁of ▁many ▁prominent ▁vict ims . ▁ ▁Gro sh olt z ▁inherited ▁Cur ti us ' s ▁vast ▁collection ▁of ▁w ax ▁models ▁following ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 4 . ▁For ▁the ▁next ▁ 3 3 ▁years ▁she ▁travel led ▁around