Cecil de Blaquiere Howard

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few minor spots of greening, including to the proper right arm, and notably to the terrasse. There is some minor dark spotting in areas, notably to the thigh. There are a few minor nicks and scratches, including to the proper left buttock.
"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."

'Cecil Howard arrives at simplicity by the path of knowledge. There is a deal of tall talk about simplification, and too often it is not a matter of choice on the part of the artist, a discriminating search for essentials, but a stupid excluding of all matter too difficult to record. For that reason one is doubly grateful to Howard for his exposition in its honest form of one of the most important esthetic principles […] It is probably because he is so well informed that each sculptured idea carries with it a certainty of intent. The Dancer, Meditation and Fatigue become the embodiment of the mood or the movement they aim to express, done with an unsentimental grace and an aristocratic gesture.'

New York Evening Post,‎ March 10, 1928, p. 11

The stone version of this elegant nude, carved en taille directe, was first exhibited at the Whitney Studio Club in 1928 where it was met with acclaim. Two further bronze cast of the model are known: one in the Whitney Museum of American Art, and one formerly in the collection of Henry Luce III, sold Christie's New York 27 December 2011, lot 30 ($37,500). The model appeared on the cover of the 2011 Conner-Rosenkranz exhibition catalogue: Conner-Rosenkranz: Selections from Thirty Years 1980-2010. The present bronze has a beautiful mid-brown patina.