- 156
Frederick William MacMonnies 1863-1937
Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 USD
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Description
- Frederick William MacMonnies
- Nathan Hale
- inscribed F. MacMonnies and dated 1890 and stamped E. Gruet Jeune Fondeur 44 bis Avenue de Chatillon Paris on base; also inscribed I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country on front of base
- bronze, brown patina
- height: 28 1/4 in.
- (71.8 cm)
Provenance
Medallic Art Company, Danbury, Connecticut (sold: Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, September 29, 1977, lot 3, illustrated)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale
Exhibited
Medallic Art Company, The Medallic Art Collection of Bronzes, no. 59
Literature
Lorado Taft, The History of American Sculpture, London, 1903, pp. 336, 339
Wayne Craven, Sculpture in America, New York, 1968, pp. 422, 498
Lewis Sharp, New York City Public Sculpture by 19th Century American Artists, New York, 1974, pp. 37-36
Donald Martin Reynolds, Masters of American Sculpture: The Figurative Tradition from the American Renaissance to the Millenium, New York, 1993, p. 108
Mary Smart, A Flight with Fame: The Life and Art of Frederick MacMonnies, Madison, Connecticut, 1996, pp. 74, 85-89, 91-93, 99-102, 104-105, 116, 136-137, 157, 188, 201, 210, 256, 270, 289, illustration of another example p. 102
Wayne Craven, Sculpture in America, New York, 1968, pp. 422, 498
Lewis Sharp, New York City Public Sculpture by 19th Century American Artists, New York, 1974, pp. 37-36
Donald Martin Reynolds, Masters of American Sculpture: The Figurative Tradition from the American Renaissance to the Millenium, New York, 1993, p. 108
Mary Smart, A Flight with Fame: The Life and Art of Frederick MacMonnies, Madison, Connecticut, 1996, pp. 74, 85-89, 91-93, 99-102, 104-105, 116, 136-137, 157, 188, 201, 210, 256, 270, 289, illustration of another example p. 102
Condition
Very good condition.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
This bronze is a cast of the model for the life-size bronze figure of Nathan Hale that was comissioned by the Sons of the Revolution of the State of New York for City Hall Park. MacMonnies worked on this commission in his Paris studio in 1890. By the following year the Hale portrait had been cast in plaster and was exhibited at the Salon. Lewis Sharp states that although some critics initially believed it was "too grotesque," the Hale sculpture has been lauded as one of the "finest American Beaux-Arts statues." Upon being cast in bronze the life-size version was shipped from Paris to New York where it was unveiled on November 25, 1893 on the centennial anniversary of the evacuation of British troops from New York City. The life-size version currently stands opposite New York's City Hall.