Joseph Bernard

Purchased from the artist's son in 1990

Two Sculptors - Auguste Rodin and Joseph Bernard, Bruton Gallery, Somerset, 1991
Rodin and French Sculpture, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1995
The Quiet Revolution, Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, 2000

Two Sculptors - Auguste Rodin and Joseph Bernard, ex. cat. Bruton Gallery, Somerset, 1991, pp. 74-5

The condition of the bronze is excellent.
"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."

Joseph Bernard began his studies in Lyons and received a scholarship in 1886 which enabled him to travel to Paris to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Whilst reference is often made to Auguste Rodin's influence, Bernard never worked in his studio, preferring to work nights at a printing press to finance the early lean years of his career. His fierce independence is reflected in his oeuvre, as he experimented with unconventional techniques such as carving in taille directe and modelling directly in plaster rather than clay. Towards the end of his career Bernard's own influence on French sculpture had become immense. As one critic of the 1927 Salon d'Automne wrote: 'if all sculptures influenced by Bernard were removed from the galleries, what would there be left?'

As for his famous Femme à la cruche, all of the studies for Femme à l'enfant were made in plaster. The full-size original plaster version formed the centrepiece of the Manzi and Joyant's exhibition of Bernard's work in 1914. However, the plaster was not shown at the Salon d'Automne until 1925, when the state commissioned a bronze cast. A limited early edition of the full-size model was edited by Rudier. The state commission was originally displayed along the façade of the Musée de Luxembourg together with other large-scale sculptures including a cast of Femme à la cruche. The two sculptures are now preserved at the Musée d'Orsay. Another Rudier cast is in the collection of the Museu Biblioteca Condes de Castro Guimarães, Portugal.

As with all posthumous sculptures by Bernard the present fine bronze was cast by the Coubertin foundry. The lot is sold together with a certificate of authentication from Jean Bernard.

RELATED LITERATURE
Grémont Gervaise, pp. 9-11