Barry Flanagan

Landau Fine Art, Montreal
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1992

Montreal, Landau Fine Art, Barry Flanagan, October - December 1992

This work is in good condition overall. There is some evidence of wear and scattered abrasions to the surface. The patina on the figure without the ball has a more lustrous and brownish appearance than that of the figure kicking the ball which by contrast appears more matte and greenish in color. There is a small pock mark at the hip of the figure without the ball which is presumably inherent to the medium and the artist's working method as are the clefts and surface nuances which are visible throughout.
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.

Thematically the choice of the hare is really quite a rich and expressive sort of model;... the investment of human attributes into the animal world is a very well practiced device, in literature and film etcetera and is really quite poignant. And on a practical level, if you consider what conveys situation and meaning and feeling in a human figure, the range of expression is in fact far more limited than the device of investing an animal – a hare especially – with the expressive attributes of a human being. The ears, for instance, are really able to convey far more than a squint in an eye of a figure, or a grimace on the face of a model – Barry Flanagan