Conceived in 1931 and cast in bronze in a numbered edition of 6.
inscribed with the artist's monogram, numbered 5/6 and stamped with the foundry mark C. Valsuani cire perdue

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Galerie Krugier et Cie, Geneva
Private Collection, Sweden (acquired from the above on 11th June 1969; sale: Sotheby's London, 6th February 2013, lot 116)
Purchased at the above sale by the late owner

Werner Hofmann, The Sculpture of Henri Laurens, New York, 1970, illustration of another cast p. 131
Henri Laurens, Exposition de la donation aux Musées Nationaux (exhibition catalogue), Grand Palais, Paris, 1967, no. 22, illustration of another cast n.p.
Sculpture and Drawings by Henri Laurens 1885-1954 (exhibition catalogue), The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1971, illustration of another cast p.47
Sandor Kuthy, Henri Laurens 1885-1954, Bern & Fribourg, 1985, no. 50, illustration of the terracotta version p. 120
Tête-à-Tête, Leger, Laurens (exhibition catalogue), Museum Frieder Burda, Baden-Baden, 2012, no. 58, colour illustration of another cast p. 131 

Attractive golden-brown patina. This work is in overall 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 following group of exceptional works by Henri Laurens from the estate of a Private Swedish collector demonstrate the artist's mastery of medium. The sculptural œuvre of Henri Laurens encompasses Cubism and beyond, charting the key artistic developments of the early twentieth century. Between 1915 and 1919, Laurens embraced the savage angularity of Cubism, creating works in which conventional form was fragmented into strikingly geometric planes. However, his style underwent a radical change after the First World War, when his figures began to be composed of softer, more organic forms. This 'rappel à l'ordre' reflected a wider desire within post-war Paris to celebrate more traditional art as part of a reaction against the brutality of early twentieth century history by looking back to earlier sculptural tropes, such as tribal art. Elizabeth Cowling has discussed the development of Laurens work during this time: 'The first clear sign of a new orientation in Laurens' work had occurred in 1919, in the more voluptuous and relaxed forms of "Woman with a Fan" and in subsequent related reclining nudes. In these, curves multiply, forms are more volumetric, and there is a general softening of mood - although the break-up of the body into large areas, which are then juxtaposed against one another at different angles, betrays the continuing role of Laurens' Cubist style' (quoted in: On Classic Ground, Picasso, Léger, De Chirico and the New Classicism 1910-30 (exhibition catalogue), Tate Gallery, London, 1990, p. 130).

This elegantly curated group of sculpture spans the remarkable breadth of Laurens mature style. Moving from the highly significant Femme à l’éventail of 1919 – in which elements of Laurens earlier Cubism merge with the more rounded forms which were to characterise his later sculptures – to the organically moulded Femme debout au bras lévé of 1949. The remaining works in the collection – Femme à la draperie debout, Femme au miroir, Femme à la draperie debout, au miroir (all 1929) and La Banderole (1931) – reveal Laurens highly assured mastery of figural form as he continued to develop his inimitable style throughout the 1920s and🍎 1930s.