Henri Laurens

Acquired by the family of the present owner in 1939

San Francisco, Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939

Very good condition. The composition of this piece of terracotta has a lot of distinct elements which makes for a very appealing, highly textured and somewhat grainy surface. There are some naturally occurring bumps as well as depressions across the surface where this texture is most evident. Casting seams are also visible. Some very slightly dirty areas along the top edge of the work, on the figure's arm, where the work has been handled in the past. Otherwise fine.
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.

By 1914, Laurens had adopted the tenets of Analytical Cubism from Braque, a dear frIend of his whom he knew from the neighborhood of Montmartre in Paris.  From the start, his explorations of Cubism were manifested in the medium of sculpture.  Tête de Jeune Fille is a brilliant example in terracotta of the artist's singular approach to Cubist sculpture.  Alberto Giacometti once wrote, " The sculpture of Laurens is, for me, more than any other, a veritable projection of himself in space, a little bit like a shadow in three dimensions.  His very manner of breathing, of touching, of feeling, of thinking became an object, became a sculpture...The least part of his sculpture has passed and repassed through the sensibility of its creator, becomeing like a very part of this sensibility.  Laurens advances on his oeuvre only with this absolute control and never seeks to go beyond it.  The dimensions, the proportions, the movement of the sculpture is established, becomes clearer and is determined finally in accordance with this same profound and complex sensibility"(quoted in Laurens and Braque (exhibition catalogue), New York Cultural Center, 1971, p. 13).