Jean-Léon Gérôme French, 1824 - 1904

gilt bronze, signed J L. GEROME and with foundry inscription SIOT PARIS and numbered 845H

G. Ackerman, The Life and Work of Jean-Léon Gérôme, London and New York, 1986, p.326

Museum number 38.1975 in yellow paint on inside edge of underside. Tarnished, in need of cleaning to reveal the gilt bronze underneath, some dirt and dust in recesses as expected. A few light scratches to surface.
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.

Gérôme exhibited his Joueuse de Boules in the Salon of 1902. He used an invented Néo-Grec ball game to twist and display the nude female form as the woman attempts to drop the balls into the mouths of the masks on the base without moving her feet. Her contorted pose echoes that of the antique Satyr Examining his Tail in the Vatican Museums. According to Ackerman, the Joueuse was edited in bronze in three sizes by the Siot-Decauville foundry, with this being the largest.  A gilt-bronze version of the smaller size is in the Hirshorn Museum, Washington DC.