19th & 20th Century European Sculpture

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Lot 29
  • 29

Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier French, 1827-1905

bidding is closed

Description

  • Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier
  • Jeune fille Moriote or Jeune Grecque (a young Greek girl)
  • signed: C. Cordier on the socle and entitled: JEUNE GRECQUE
  • bronze, silvered patina

Condition

The earrings are probably later and there is some oxidation, mainly in the hair and head dress. There is some wear to the silver surface in the socle and there are also some residues of silver polish, mainly in the hair. Overall the condition is good.
"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

In 1851 Cordier was given the post of ethnographic sculptor to the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle. As part of his work he made a tour of Greece, leaving on 16th April 1858 with an allowance of 700 francs a month and letters of introduction from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. His mission was to inspect the marble quarries and to record contemporary Greeks in sculpture. As Trapadoux recalled, Greek women were happy to sit for a young French sculptor charged by his government to study Greek beauty and record the most remarkable types. In this case the young girl portrayed is from the Morea region. Cordier has carefully recorded her costume including a cap made from coins. The present silvered bronze is intricately finished with fine chasing to describe the contours of her skin.

Jeune fille Moriote was often paired with the Jeune Abyssinienne and was exhibited with this pendant in Nice in 1885.

RELATED LITERATURE
Charles Cordier: l'autre et l'ailleurs, cat. nos. 301, 328 & 329, pp. 179 & 183; E. Papet & M. Vigli, 'Le Voyage en Grèce, Avril - Novembre 1858', in Charles Cordier: l'autre et l'ailleurs, pp. 87 - 91; Trapadoux, p. 33