A rare example of Auguste Rodin’s historical portraiture, Napoléon Enveloppé dans Son Réve (Napoleon Wrapped in his Dream) (Lot 1016) is a larger-than-life marble bust of the French Revolutionary leader Napoleon Bonaparte. It comes to auction having been discovered after almost 80 years of hiding in plain sight in the Hartley Dodge Memorial building in Madison, New Jersey. In 2014, a young archivist updating the Memorial building’s collection catalogue discovered Rodin’s signature on the marble. Following years of research, the much anticipated announcement of this long lost Rodin was made in 2017, and it was quickly positioned in a major retrospective celebrating the centennial of Rodin’s death at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Leading Sotheby’s Fall 2021 Modern Art Evening Sale in Hong Kong, and marking the bicentenary of Napoleon’s death, this fresh-to-market sculpture appears in Asia for the very first time.

Napoléon Enveloppé dans Son Réve holds a unique position among the political portraits modeled by Rodin during his career. Although rare in his production, Rodin dedicated much attention to the portraits of political figures of his time such as Georges Clémenceau, defendor of Alfred Dreyfus, the Général Marguerite, a hero of the Franco-Prussian war, and the Argentine President Domingo Sarmiento. A true republican by spirit, Rodin couldn’t avoid the myth of Napoleon and its overall domination in the political life in France during the XIXth C. Napoleon Bonaparte was a son of the French Revolution, rising from a dark future as child of a small countryside family in the turmoil of the French Revolution to Ruler of Europe, eager to bring the lights of the French Revolution to the rest of the world. Imitating the methods of the roman Empire, Napoleon brought in every country invaded by his armies the dream of the French revolution, the fall of the ancient kings, scientific progress, new ways of thinking, the metric system, the creation of museums, the Latin civil code, the construction of new roads, new plans for cities and still his reign ended in a dictatorship and the overstretching of his dream lost far away from France in the cold steppes of Russia. Defeated in 1815, his shadow dominated the French politics all along the XIXth century. At a time of adversity against the rising economic power of England and military power of Germany, no French citizen could avoid to take position in favor or against Napoleon’s legacy in France until the very beginning of the XXth c.

Although Rodin usually preferred to reinterpret the images of Classical and Biblical themes, most of his research in portraiture focused on understanding and representing the psychological features of his sitters. Napoleon was a rock to climb, an almost impossible challenge for an artist whose ideal was to reflect the inner thoughts of his model. In the present work, Rodin balances historical portraiture alongside a more expressive and psychologically penetrating rendering of the famed general. In order to best convey the presence of a general who commanded hundreds of battles with so few losses but whose final fate was defeat, fall and exile, Rodin chose to depict Napoleon at a pivotal moment in his life. Caught between the initial flush of victory, yet brimming with hope for future conquests to come, Rodin captures the countenance of a figure during an age of promise and opportunity. Here Napoleon is pointedly unadorned with the regalia of battle or leadership. By deliberately stripping the First French Emperor of all anecdotal signs and overtly identifying characteristics, Rodin humanized his subject. The result is an acutely psychological portrait in which Napoleon’s character is made apparent through his resolute gaze.

It is in the unusual treatment of the bust’s torso, however, that Rodin’s unique artistic vision and expressive modelling becomes most apparent. Diverging from the traditional genre of historical portraiture, Rodin attributes his subject with an ethereal quality through the textured surface of the marble, thus allowing for a greater interplay of light and shadow across its surface. Napoleon’s body is submerged within the folds of his cloak, which take on an otherworldly appearance. Before deciding on this configuration, Rodin appears to have experimented with various formal arrangements, as evidenced by the plaster maquette, in which the cloak gathers across the shoulders in a more realistic display of drapery. In the marble sculpture, however, the only clothing depicted in detail is Napoleon’s collar, which recalls the military clothing he was often pictured in. Consequently, Napoleon’s head rises from his cloak in an almost mystical manner evoking the poetic inscription at the base of the sculpture: “ENVELOPPÉ DANS SON RÉVE”, which translates to “Wrapped in his Dream”.

Contrasting the avant-garde and almost abstracted treatment of Napoleon’s body, Rodin pays close attention to depicting the figure’s head with anatomical accuracy. In order to recreate an historical likeness, Rodin drew from a myriad of sources. He meticulously collected books, press cuttings and illustrations that depicted Napoleon and closely studied the funeral mask made two days after Napoleon’s death by Dr Francesco Antommarchi and two British doctors in Saint Helena. In addition to this, Rodin worked from a live model with his assistant André Halou posing for him in May 1904. Numerous influences were, therefore, incorporated in the creation of the plaster maquette, from which the present marble has been created. The carving of the marble would have been a complex process. A pantograph would have been needed in order to transfer the coordinates of the plaster onto the marble block. Two assistants of Rodin’s: Alfred-Jean Halou (André Halou’s brother) and Ernest Nivet, would have executed the carving in a process closely overseen by Rodin. The plaster maquette currently resides in the Musée Rodin in Paris.

Napoléon Enveloppé dans Son Réve was commissioned in 1904 by two of Rodin’s patrons, John and Kate Seney Simpson, exactly one hundred years after Napoleon’s consecration, or Sacre, by the Pope. It is conceivable that this anniversary may have inspired the commission. Although commissioned by Simpson, the bust was left unfinished in Rodin’s studio, most likely due to the time-intensive process of working in marble. Instead the work was purchased by another American collector, Thomas Fortune Ryan. Upon noticing the work in the artist’s studio in 1909, Ryan requested that Rodin finish the chiseling of the work and ship it to the USA. An enthusiastic collector of Rodin’s work, Ryan played a significant role in promoting the artist’s work in the USA, gifting three Rodin marbles to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and financing the acquisition of several further works. In 1912 Ryan loaned the present work to this same museum and the piece remained on view until 1928 when Ryan’s estate prepared to offer his collection for auction; an auction that was described as:

Napoléon Enveloppé dans Son Rêve received considerable praise at this sale:

It was from the auction of Ryan’s estate that the work was purchased by Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge, the celebrated philanthropist and art collector who later gifted the bust to the Hartley Dodge Memorial in Madison, New Jersey in around 1942. Having erected the Memorial building, that was to serve as Madison’s municipal hall and courthouse, in memory of her late son, Dodge placed the Rodin on view in the corner of the grand council chambers. Rumours circulated that the imperial bust may be a work by the great sculptor Auguste Rodin, however, over time the work slipped into obscurity until its discovery in 2014.

Rodin’s expert, Jérôme Le Blay recalls the day he first saw the work isolated in a corner of the enormous meeting room of the borough hall of Madison where it stood forgotten for 75 years:

Bridging traditional and modern figuration, this imposing portrait is testament to Rodin’s innovative vision and expressive rendering of the human form. The sculpture’s fascinating provenance, journeying from the artist’s studio in Paris, to numerous eminent locations in the USA before arriving in Hong Kong heightens the interest surrounding the work and marks its appearance in the Sotheby’s Fall 2021 Modern Art Evening Sale a momentous occasion. Through the agile hands of the great master, the famed leader Napoleon Bonaparte emerges from the stone and finally confronts the sleeping lion he once referenced in his aphorism: ‘China is a sleeping lion, let her sleep because if she wakes up, the world will tremble.' Presenting a figure projecting determination and optimism for the future, Napoléon Enveloppé dans Son Réve awakens now in an already trembling world.

We thank Jérôme Le Blay for sharing expertise with Sotheby’s and assisting with the cataloging of the present lot.

雄獅甦醒：羅丹史詩式鉅作傳奇現身！

現代雕塑之父奧古斯特・羅丹的在藝術史上舉足輕重，其於二十世紀初年創作的大理石雕《逐夢的拿破崙》（拍品編號1016），從主題、媒材到來源，堪稱拍場所見最傳奇的羅丹傑作。適逢本年為拿破崙逝世二百週年，蘇富比榮幸於本季秋拍於香港現代藝術晚拍呈獻此一傳奇鉅作，為藏家展現其跨越世紀的非凡魅力。

「中國是一頭沉睡的獅子，當這頭睡獅醒來時，世界將為之震撼！」

拿破崙・波拿巴

拿破崙是法國近現代史上最重要的國家領袖，他的崛起與征戰，不僅徹底改變西方歷史發展，更曾以獅子的沉睡與甦醒，留下中國崛起的驚世寓言。時至今日，世人對拿破崙的傳頌絲毫不減，中國自1978年至今的歷史性崛起，更印證了一個半世紀之前拿破崙的遠見卓識。這位曠古鑠今的非凡人物，顯然激發了羅丹的澎湃靈感。羅丹以半抽象形式為拿破崙披上古羅馬帝國軍服，象徵他如凱撒大帝般無堅不摧，亦寓意其畢生追逐的帝國藍圖，展現豐沛的歷史浪漫主義情懷；如今所見的這副雕琢細膩的大理石面孔，那氣質和神態流露著一位軍事天才的雄心壯志。

《逐夢的拿破崙》之誕生殊為傳奇：羅丹在雕塑創作上一直秉承古典傳統，致力於歷史人物肖象。1904年，羅丹最重要的兩位美國贊助人約翰與凱特・塞尼・辛普森向羅丹提出委託，創作此一拿破崙大理石雕。辛普森夫婦乃二十世紀初年紐約極其出色的執業律師，在藝術收藏方面亦聲譽卓著。1903年起，兩人開始收藏羅丹作品，其中包括《沉思者》、《柱台上的聖約翰》、《人馬獸》，以及《巴爾扎克》頭像。1904年是教宗為拿破崙祝聖加冕的百週年紀念，或許是這個特別的年份啟發了凱特・塞尼・辛普森委託羅丹創作這座半身像。

為了精准描繪拿破崙的神髓，羅丹蒐集了許多印有他容貌的書籍和新聞剪報。但至為關鍵的，要數醫生弗朗西斯科・安托馬契在拿破崙逝世後兩日，即1821年5月7日，在聖海倫娜島製作的拿破崙面模；另外，羅丹亦有參照一位容貌酷似拿破崙的人士：1904年5月，羅丹著他的助手安德烈・哈盧擔當《拿破崙》半身像的模特兒，並請安德烈的兄弟、同時亦是雕塑家的阿爾弗雷德・讓・哈盧協助創作速寫稿。在創作《逐夢的拿破崙》期間，羅丹還特別製作了一件半身像石膏原型，至今仍典藏於巴黎羅丹博物館。此一石膏初稿的座標記號以縮圖器轉移至本尊《逐夢的拿破崙》大理石雕，至今仍清晰可見，堪稱兩尊作品之關係明證。

拿破崙縱橫沙場二十餘載，率領超過六十場重大戰事，在戰場上一直所向披靡。羅丹在《逐夢的拿破崙》旨在呈現拿破崙的巔峰歲月時期，是故人物眼神堅定、鬥志昂揚，表現一代英雄的卓絕風采；若對比羅丹博物館藏的石膏初稿，可見羅丹為了在本作更強調拿破崙的精神氣質，是故銳意採用簡約、抽象的手法塑造其形象，讓這位「法蘭西第一帝國皇帝」卸下勳章、佩劍和皇冠等配飾，展現其最真實、自然的一面，讓觀眾專注於其放眼四海的雙眸、堅毅沉著的眉宇，以及志在千秋的神髓。

羅丹在本作一方面如實按照拿破崙的臉部特徵作出刻畫，同時不忘灌注藝術元素，為這位英年正盛的領袖添上王者的氣息。為此，藝術家刻意為大理石留下粗糙表面，強調光影的戲劇性效果。這手法常見於羅丹在二十世紀初開始一些較著重表現力的作品；若對比《逐夢的拿破崙》石膏初稿，藝術家曾試驗較為寫實的人物衣著，但他最終還是決定採用抽象和戲劇化造型。拿破崙在本作身披高領刺繡軍袍，散發皇者風範，令人想起凱撒大帝或古羅馬大將。顯然，羅丹描繪拿破崙時，腦海同時浮現羅馬帝國名將的形象；其項頸以下的雄軀趨於抽象，形象超然物外，恰如這句刻在雕像底部的法文短語：「ENVELOPPÉ DANS SON RÉVE」意即「沉醉夢中」，既歌頌他永垂不朽的法蘭西帝國傳奇，同時反映他所追逐的帝王寶座終成南柯夢晌。

《逐夢的拿破崙》是大理石像，創作難度較諸石膏與青銅更高，在羅丹的年代，一般需時約兩至三年的埋首苦幹方可告成。本作最早的委託人辛普森在等候期間，可能因失去耐性而中斷委託；1909年，羅丹認識了另一位重要收藏家—美國煙草鉅商托馬斯・福瑞恩・瑞安。當瑞安拜訪羅丹工作室時，他被威風凜凜的《逐夢的拿破崙》所吸引，於是邀請羅丹完成作品並將之運到美國。為感謝兩位重要藏家先後支持，羅丹日後亦為辛普森和瑞安分別創作雕像，見證他們之間的友誼。

瑞安一直致力收藏羅丹作品，並在美國藝壇積極推廣羅丹。1910年1月29日一封瑞安致羅丹的信函顯示，在瑞安到訪工作室的翌年，《逐夢的拿破崙》已連同其他作品一同送往紐約：「我很高興《皮革馬利翁與伽拉忒亞》及《（逐夢的）拿破崙》都已付運。」同年，瑞安出資促成紐約大都會藝術博物館收藏十件羅丹的作品，該館更是美國首間為羅丹設專門展廳的博物館。雖然瑞安捐出了許多羅丹的作品，但他一直將《逐夢的拿破崙》留為己藏，並自1912年開始長期借展本作予大都會藝術博物館，直至1928年瑞安離世，這尊半身像才被移離博物館，瑞安的遺產管理人亦在1933年拍賣瑞安全部收藏。

在1933年的拍賣圖錄中，載有瑞安私人收藏的465件作品，內容精彩絕倫：「偉大的收藏往往廣納不同時期的作品。收藏彷如一段情感豐富的和弦，與觀眾一同協奏出醉人的樂章。收藏更是人類智力和思想的結晶。而托馬斯・福瑞恩・瑞安的收藏正是當中的佼佼者。其收藏囊括幾乎來自整個後希臘時期不同的藝術媒介，從伊特拉斯坎文明到羅丹的雕塑藝術皆有涉獵。綜觀其創作靈感的來源，我們彷彿能感受到歷史上不同時期的人類的精神世界。」該拍賣圖錄特別重點提及這尊拿破崙雕像，形容它是「年輕的督師將帥，神情深邃，身穿披風，衣領緊裹頸項」，可見此作的特殊地位：

「另一方面，羅丹是他的時代的大師。在題材和技巧上，他亦是浪漫主義的最後一人。他的神秘主義為作品染上一層耐人尋味的氣氛，例如《兄弟與姐妹》【248號】。但更為貼切的例子，則要數在大都會博物館展出多年、朦朧而俊俏的《逐夢的拿破崙》【255號】。」

節錄自《托馬斯・福瑞恩・瑞安收藏：歌德式與文藝復興藝術》，紐約美國藝術協會安德森畫廊公司，紐約，1933年

《逐夢的拿破崙》最終售予著名慈善家、名犬培養者和大收藏家埃塞爾・杰拉爾丁・洛克菲勒・道奇。杰拉爾丁是知名金融家小威廉・艾弗里・洛克菲勒的千金、約翰・戴維森・洛克菲勒的姪女，因而繼承了龐大的石油生意與財富；1907年，杰拉爾丁與菲爾普斯・道奇其中一位繼承人塞勒斯・哈特利・道奇結婚，成為當時美國公認的最富有夫婦；杰拉爾丁離世後遺下的藝術珍藏，更於七〇年代由紐約蘇富比帕克・博內拍賣行為她舉行了十二場拍賣會，是當時規模最大、品類最豐富的拍賣盛會。

1933年，杰拉爾丁透過其助手暨犬舍主管哈雷・麥克盧爾代理出價，投得《逐夢的拿破崙》；1935年，杰拉爾丁為紀念意外去世的兒子小塞勒斯・哈特利・道奇，在於新澤西州麥迪遜興建了一座「哈特利・道奇紀念館」，並將這座新古典建築贈予當地政府，作為麥迪遜市政廳和法院。杰拉爾丁樂於在哈特利・道奇紀念館擺放自己喜愛的藝術與家具收藏，有時更會忽發奇想在館內掛上畫作。1942年，她捐出這座拿破崙半身像，並將其置於大會議廳角落裡的公共空間，然而，由於杰拉爾丁及後一直沒有公開本作更多資料，《逐夢的拿破崙》自四〇年代以來一度長期被人遺忘；2014年，哈特利・道奇基金聘請了一位22歲的年輕畢業生作檔案管理員，負責更新收藏的資料庫。這位名為馬洛里・莫蒂拉羅的檔案管理員驚覺《逐夢的拿破崙》具有羅丹署名，於是聯絡前巴黎羅丹博物館人員、《奧古斯特・羅丹雕塑作品全集》作者杰羅姆・勒布萊。勒布萊旋即飛往當地鑑定此作：

「啊，我的朋友！原來你多年來一直躲藏於此！」

首次目睹半身像的奧古斯特・羅丹專家杰羅姆・勒布萊驚嘆。

勒布萊發現了一張1909年的羅丹老照片，照片中的羅丹自信地直視鏡頭，站立半倚著的正是這尊以側面面向鏡頭的《逐夢的拿破崙》；2015年夏天，《逐夢的拿破崙》已被認定為羅丹之作，但各方一直保持低調，直至2017年才正式對外公佈。公佈之時，各方媒體、觀眾、學生和旅客蜂擁而至，相關組織亦嚴謹以待，作出為期一個月的公眾展覽；2018年秋，《逐夢的拿破崙》借展費城藝術博物館，紀念羅丹逝世一百週年，並在該館155號展廳與羅丹其他名作《施洗者聖約翰講道》和《製盔者之妻》團聚一堂。

2021年秋，蘇富比現代藝術晚拍隆重呈獻《逐夢的拿破崙》，此尊曠世奇作好比拿破崙口中睡獅的化身，在世人面前甦醒。羅丹的大理石雕極為珍稀，縱觀藝術家全球拍賣紀錄，其大理石雕僅佔拍品總量不足百分之二，每有釋出，必然引起藏家爭奪；現時的藝術家拍賣紀錄，即是於2016年由紐約蘇富比以2041萬美元成交的《永恒之春》大理石雕。適逢本年為拿破崙逝世二百周年紀念，《逐夢的拿破崙》於亞洲隆重登場，更添非凡歷史意義！