- 148
Jacques Lipchitz
Description
- Jacques Lipchitz
- Arlequin à la mandoline
- Inscribed J Lipchitz, numbered 2/7 and with the artist's thumbprint
- Bronze
- Height: 25 1/2 in.
- 64.8 cm
Provenance
Acquired from the above in 2004
Literature
Lipchitz, The Cubist Period, 1913-1930 (exhibition catalogue), Marlborough-Gerson Gallery, New York, 1968, no. 40, illustration of another cast n.p.
Jacques Lipchitz: Sculptures and Drawings (exhibition catalogue), Marlborough Fine Art, London & Marlborough Galerie, Zurich, 1973, no. 9, illustration of another cast p. 40
Alan G. Wilkinson, The Sculpture of Jacques Lipchitz, A catalogue raisonné, The Paris Years, 1910-1940, vol. I, New York, 1996, no. 110, illustration of another cast p. 55 & 165
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.
Catalogue Note
By 1920, when he executed the model for Arlequin à la mandoline, Lipchitz had developed an attuned sense of spatial composition influenced largely by his study of the Cubist works of Picasso, Braque and Gris. The artist was now able to translate effectively his two-dimensional conceptions into a three-dimensional form. Lipchitz utilized themes from the Commedia dell'arte that had become common currency in the work of Picasso, Gris and many of their contemporaries. He referred to this interest in his autobiography: "One of the first sculptures made in 1919 was the Arlequin à l'accordéon. It reflects my interest in eighteenth century paintings, particularly that of Watteau... The Pierrots and harlequins were part of our general vocabulary, characters taken from the Commedia dell'arte, particularly popular in the eighteenth century. We may have been attracted to them originally because of their gay traditional costumes, involving many different colored areas" (Jacques Lipchitz, My Life in Sculpture, New York, 1972, p. 58).