- 33
Émile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin
Description
- Émile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin
- Janissaire du sultant Mahmoud II and Jeune fille du Caire
- the male figure signed Ele Guillemin / 1879, the female figure signed Ele Guillemin.
- bronze, light brown, brown and reddish polychrome patina with gilt highlights, levanto rouge marble base
- height the male figure 35 in.
- 89 cm
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.
Catalogue Note
Orientalism was a Western fascination with the exoticism of other continents which became popular during the latter half of the 19th century. Romantic portrayals of African countries in contemporary literature and operas, such as L'Africaine and Aïda, fueled this exoticism. In America, the Turkish Bazaar in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition further heightened the fascination with "Turkish" or "Moorish" subjects which lasted well into the 1880s. Orientalist themes allowed artists to break away from the stark monochromatic Neoclassicism; utilizing a variety of gilt and silvered bronze, marble, onyx, and colored stones, they added richness to their work, while still maintaining a keen interest in the ethnography of their subjects. Guillemin specialized in figurative works and was inspired by the Middle and Far East. His representations of Indian falconers (in collaboration with Alfred Barye), Turkish, Kurdish, and Algerian maidens, as well as Japanese courtesans, firmly established his reputation as one of the foremost Orientalist sculptors from the mid-1870s. He exhibited for the last time at the Salon of 1899 and many of his works were purchased by the state. The Janissaire was a member of an elite military corps, originally formed of war captives, who protected the Ottoman Empire and held a very high place in society until abolished by Sultan Mahmud II (d. 1839). Due to their popularity and political power, they were an intriguing subject matter for portraiture.
A similar pair sold Christie's London, June 26, 2007, lot 84, GPB 156,000. More recently, a world record was achieved for any 19th century French sculpture with the sale of a pair of busts by Guillemin, from the Property of Estate of Rochelle Sepenuk, October 21, 2008, lot 92, which sold for $1,202,500.