- 157
Auguste Rodin
Estimate
70,000 - 100,000 USD
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Description
- Auguste Rodin
- Tête de Balzac, dernier état, version au col coupé derrière l'oreille
- Inscribed A. Rodin and with the foundry mark Alexis Rudier Fondeur Paris
- Bronze
- Height: 7 in.
- 17.8 cm
Provenance
David Roxby, London
Sale: Christie's, London, June 30, 1999, lot 136
Acquired at the above sale
Sale: Christie's, London, June 30, 1999, lot 136
Acquired at the above sale
Literature
Athena Tacha Spear, Rodin Sculpture in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1967, no. IV (W), illustrations of another cast pl. 27 & on the cover
Albert Elsen, Rodin's Art, The Rodin Collection of the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, New York, 2003, illustration of another cast fig. 321
Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, The Bronzes of Rodin, Catalogue of Works in the Musée Rodin, vol. I, Paris, 2007, no. S. 765, illustration of another cast p. 177
Albert Elsen, Rodin's Art, The Rodin Collection of the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, New York, 2003, illustration of another cast fig. 321
Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, The Bronzes of Rodin, Catalogue of Works in the Musée Rodin, vol. I, Paris, 2007, no. S. 765, illustration of another cast p. 177
Condition
Dark brown patina. Work is screwed to a marble base at one point on the underside. There are a few small spots of accretion in the very deepest crevices, but otherwise the surface is clean and the work is in excellent 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Rodin's early studies for his monument to Balzac were naturalistic in inspiration-ꦺ- in one ve🌌rsion the figure is dressed in contemporary costume and leans against a pile of books. Rodin soon realized, however, that these attempts to recreate the outward appearance of the writer would never succeed in conveying his intensity and the magnitude of his literary contributions. The present work illustrates the shift in Rodin's concept as he moved away from the relatively conventional early studies in the direction of a much more dynamic expression, employing a genuinely modern approach to evoke the prodigious spirit of the writer.