Conceived in 1938

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Eleanore & Daniel Saidenberg (acquired from the above in the mid-1950s; sale: Sotheby's, New York, 10th November 1999, lot 45)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Werner Hofmann & Daniel Kahnweiler, The Sculpture of Henri Laurens, Stuttgart, 1970, illustrations of another cast pp. 166-167

Rich dark brown patina. There is minor wear to the patina consistent with age, for example to the raised right thigh (visible in the catalogue illustration) and at the back of the neck. There are few tiny patina losses near the upper edge behind her hair and minor wear to the patina on the upper edge. Otherwise, apart from minor surface dirt along the lower edge, this work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The present work is a monumental display of Laurens' œuvre, incorporating the fluid, oceanic forms of his later work with the functionality of 1930s design. During the 1930s, Laurens undertook a number of decorative ensembles, notably a fountain and four high reliefs, La Terre and La Mer for the Pavilion de la Manufacture de Sèvres and Le Jour and La Nuit for the Palais de la Découverte. Beginning in the 1920s he devoted many sculptures to the theme of a reclining woman, both in low relief and in three dimensions.

In the present work, Laurens flattened the female figure and made it into a particularly elegant table-caryatid. Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, who first met Laurens in 1920, was a great admirer of both the man and his work. In his recollections he recalled how 'The sculpture of Henri Laurens remained – to adopt a phrase from Juan Gris – 'great sculpture'. I define 'great sculpture' as Masson defined 'great painting' – sculpture in which the voids are as important as the solids. Each of Laurens' works is a consistent, integral whole, but at the same time it is imbued with a gentle sensuousness. His art is very French; its graceful, flowing forms remind me of the sixteenth century sculpture of Jean Goujon' (Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, 'Recollections of Laurens' in Hofmann op. cit., pp. 49-50).