Lot 26
  • 26

Julio González

Estimate
300,000 - 400,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Julio González
  • La grande trompette
  • inscribed J. Gonzalez ©, numbered 1/2 and with the foundry mark E. Godard Fondr
  • bronze on stone base
  • height (including base): 114cm., 44 7/8 in.
  • height (excluding base): 92cm., 36 1/4 in.

Provenance

Dr Walter A. Bechtler, Zollikon

Galerie Hauser & Wirth, Zurich

Private Collection, Switzerland

Sale: Sotheby's, New York, 3rd May 2006, lot 41

Purchased at the above sale

Exhibited

Zurich, Art Focus & New York, Dickinson Roundell Inc., Julio González - A retrospective exhibition, 2002, no. 18, illustrated in the catalogue

New York, Jan Krugier Gallery & Richard L. Feigen & Co., Drawing in Space, 2007-08, no. 17, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Barcelona, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya & Madrid, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Julio González, retrospectiva, 2008-09, no. 145, illustrated in colour in the catalogue

Literature

David Smith, 'González: First Master of the Torch', in Art News, no. 54, New York, February 1956, illustration of the iron version p. 34

Manfred de la Motte, 'Die Kunst des 21. Jahrhunderts', in Das Kunstwerk, no. 12, Baden Baden, September 1958, illustration of the iron version p. 30

Jörn Merkert, Julio González, Catalogue raisonné, Sculpture, Milan, 1987, no. 145, edition catalogued p. 141; illustrations of the iron version pp. 141-143

Condition

Rich dark brown patina. There is some surface dirt and wear consistent with age and handling. Apart from a tiny loss to the patina on the large sheet (head) above the drum, the bronze is in very good condition. There is some minor scuffing to the top of the stone base, which is overall in 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."

Catalogue Note

Julio González’s Surrealist sculpture, La Grande trompette, was originally conceived in iron around 1932-33. The piece consists of spherical, cylindrical and conical shapes and cut pieces that have been welded together and appear to be revolving around an axis. The early 1930s was a period of enormous creativity, in which González, working alongside Pablo Picasso, developed a revolutionary sense of spatial freedom in his sculpture.

In her monograph on the artist's work, Josephine Withers has written the following about this model: 'The Grande trompette, named, no doubt, for the inverted projecting cone, includes many of the same motifs as the Rêve, assembled in a different way: the hollow half-spheres, the cones, and the suggestions of hair strands attached at an angle. While the leading edge of the head of the Grande trompette is centered on its cylindrical base, the profile face and its accompanying hair strands are barely attached and appear to be flying off. This sculpture is quite dense and space-filling in a way which cannot be fully appreciated in photographs. What can be seen, however, is that there is no one dominant silhouette or outline, and because of the opaque forms, many parts of the sculpture are obscured from view and are only revealed as one moves around the sculpture... In addition, the convex and concave forms and the projections and recessions allow a fluid and plastic interplay between solid and void' (J. Withers, Julio González. Sculpture in Iron, New York, 1978, pp. 56-57).