Eugène Druet (1868-1917)

Silver print, ascribed to Druet in the lower margin

This image was at one time in the possession of Judith Cladel, Rodin's partner and biographer.

The print is mounted on card. There is slight silvering visible at left and right print edges, and in the upper left corner. A print in good condition overall.
"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."

The original plaster version of Rodin's great Balzac here seen photographed during its first public showing, in the Salle des Machines of the Salon de la Societé Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, in 1898.  A version of this image was exhibited at the one-man show devoted to Rodin at the Exposition Universelle, also in Paris, in 1900. For full details, including an assessment of the importance of Druet as the exclusive photographer of Rodin's work at that date, see the exhibtion catalogue from the Musée du Luxembourg Rodin en 1900. L'exposition de l'Alma, published by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris, 2001.
Athena Tacha Spear (in Rodin Scuplture in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, 1967) quotes Rodin as saying that his view of Balzac was itself most closely influenced by a photograph, the daguerreotype of the great writer by Louis-Auguste Bisson from 1842, later distributed by Nadar.