Lot 23
  • 23

Julio González

Estimate
250,000 - 350,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Julio González
  • TÊTE DITE 'LE TUNNEL'
  • inscribed Gonzalez ©, numbered 4/4 and with the foundry mark C. Valsuani cire perdue
  • bronze
  • height: 46.4cm.
  • 18 1/4 in.

Provenance

Private Collection, Paris
Galería Theo, Madrid
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1986

Literature

Brugière, 'Julio González: Les étapes de l'oeuvre', in Cahiers d'Art, vol. 27, Paris, July 1952, illustration of another cast p. 20
Juan-Eduardo Cirlot, 'El escultor Julio González', in Goya, Madrid, January-February 1955, fig. 9, illustration of another cast p. 209
Léon Degand, González, Cologne & Berlin, 1956, fig. 13, illustration of another cast
Roger van Gindertael, 'González', in Cimaise, vol. 3, Paris, June-July 1956, illustration of another cast p. 8
David Smith, 'González: First Master of the Torch', in Art News, vol. 54, New York, February 1956, illustration of another cast p. 35
Revista de Información Mundial, Historia de una semana, Madrid, 1959, illustration of another cast p. 37
Pierre Restany, 'Julio González', in Art International, vol. 3, New York, 1959, illustration of another cast p. 31
Vicente Aguilera Cerni, Julio González, Rome, 1962, fig. XLVIII, illustration of another cast
Poul Vad, 'Billedhuggeren González', in Signum, vol. 2, Copenhagen, 1962, p. 8, illustration of another cast
Martica Sawin, 'González and Lipchitz', in Arts Magazine, vol. 36, New York, February 1962, illustration of another cast p. 15
Carlos Antonio Areán, 'Julio González y le problematica de la esculture del siglo XX', in Cuardernos de arte del Ateneo de Madrid, vol. 60, Madrid, 1965, illustration of another cast
Fidel A. Danieli, 'Julio González: A Representative showing at the Landau Gallery', in Artforum, vol. 4, Los Angeles, December 1965, illustration of another cast p. 29
Carlos Antonio Areán, 'Los tres González', in Joan González, Julio González, Roberta González, Madrid, 1968, illustration of another cast
Pierre Descargues, 'González, sculpteur de fer', in XX siècle, no. 35, Paris, December 1970, illustration of another cast p. 152
Henry Galy-Carles, 'González, l'homme du fer', in Art vivant, Paris, March 1970, illustration of another cast
William Tucker, 'The Sculpture of González', in Studio International, vol. 180, London & New York, December 1970, illustration of another cast p. 239
Josephine Withers, 'Julio González', in Art and Artists, vol. 5, London, October 1970, illustration of another cast p. 69
Pierre Descargues, Julio González, Paris, 1971, fig. 18, illustration of another cast p. 41
Vicente Aguilera Cerni, Julio, Joan, Roberta González. Itinerario de una Dinastía, Barcelona, 1973, no. 225, illustration of another cast pp. 268-269
Ronald Alley, The González Gift to the Tate Gallery, London, 1974, no. 59, illustration of the iron version
Donación González, MAB, Barcelona, 1974, no. 27, illustration of another cast
Josephine Withers, Julio González, Sculpture in Iron, New York, 1978, no. 71, illustration of another cast p. 57
Jörn Merkert, Julio González. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Milan, 1987, no. 143, illustration of the iron version p. 139

Condition

Rich brown patina. There is an old restoration with some associated loss of patina just above the bend in the protruding front armature. There are scattered surface scratches and some very small losses of patina which have been touched-in on the top of the cylinder. The protruding top section appears to be very slightly bent. This work is in 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. 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."

Catalogue Note

While his well known collaboration with Picasso in the early 1930s certainly influenced González's approach to sculpture, his development of form differed from Picasso's in the way each conceived of the three-dimensional medium. While Picasso collaborated with González to transform his drawings into sculptures, González's own works are much more deeply involved with the process of developing form through the relation of metal parts. Margit Rowell wrote that while Picasso's sculptures always clearly read as figures, 'González's sculpture always solicits us first as an abstract structure which only with time can be read as an anthropomorphic figure' (M. Rowell, 'Julio González: The birth of modern iron sculpture', in Julio González. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, op. cit., p. 336).

While Tête dite 'Le Tunnel' refers to a head and neck, the subject of this work is as much the hollow of the 'tunnel' form and the play of surfaces and geometric shapes. This abstract quality of González's sculpture from this period was extremely influential as seen in the work of the American sculptor David Smith. Rowell commented that González's works 'remain first and always a construction in metal' (ibid., p. 336), describing the attention to sculptural form that would be González's most important contribution to the development of modern art.