Claim that the Statue of Liberty's face was modeled on Bartholdi's mother

A frequently repeated claim holds that sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi modeled the Statue of Liberty's face on his mother, Charlotte Bartholdi; some biographers note a family resemblance while other historians say the assertion lacks definitive contemporary documentation. The statue's overall design and construction are well-documented, but the specific origin of the facial model remains a matter of anecdote and scholarly debate. The claim is widely cited in popular accounts of the monument on Liberty Island.