Lot 9
  • 9

Jacques Lipchitz

Estimate
300,000 - 400,000 GBP
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Description

  • Jacques Lipchitz
  • ARLEQUIN AVEC CLARINETTE
  • inscribed J. Lipchitz, marked with the artist's thumbprint, numbered 3/7 and stamped with the foundry mark Modern Art Fdry L.I.N.Y.
  • bronze
  • height: 72.4cm.
  • 28 1/2 in.

Provenance

Marlborough Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1970

Literature

Alan G. Wilkinson, Jacques Lipchitz. A Life in Sculpture (exhibition catalogue), Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 1990-91, no. 29, illustration of another cast p. 88
Jacques Lipchitz: From Sketch to Sculpture (exhibition catalogue), Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, 1991-92, no. 6, colour illustration of the plaster p. 27 & illustration of the plaster  p. 162
Alan G. Wilkinson, The Sculpture of Jacques Lipchitz: A Catalogue RaisonnĂ©. Volume One: The Paris Years, 1910-1940, London, 1996, no. 87, illustration of another cast p. 51

Condition

Rich green patina. Apart from a very small scratch to the patina on the upper right side, this work is in 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. 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

Conceived ten years after Lipchitz's arrival in Paris, Arlequin avec clarinette exemplifies his exploration of Cubism in a three-dimensional medium. During his early years in Paris, the artist met many of the leading figures of the Parisian avant-garde, who introduced him to new artistic tendencies. Lipchitz was particularly influenced by the art of Picasso, Braque and Gris, which is reflected in both the style and subject-matter of the present work. Themes and characters from commedia dell'arte had become a popular theme in the early twentieth century, particularly in the work of Picasso and Gris, as Lipchitz himself described: 'We may have been attracted to them originally because of their gay traditional costumes, involving many different colored areas' (J. Lipchitz, My Life in Sculpture, New York, 1972, p. 58).

 

Alan G. Wilkinson wrote about the present work: 'In 1919 Lipchitz abandoned relief sculpture and returned to fully three-dimensional work. The charming series of harlequins and Pierrots playing the clarinet or the accordion reflected his interest in eighteenth-century painting, and particularly the work of Watteau: "The Pierrots and harlequins were part of our general vocabulary, characters taken from the commedia dell'arte, particularly popular in the eighteenth century... Generally, this was a transitional period in which I was playing variations on a number of familiar themes, more or less conscious that I needed to find a new direction, a new stimulus"'  (A. G. Wilkinson, op. cit., 1990-91, p. 88).