Jacques Lipchitz

A.M. Hammacher
Private Collection (by descent from the above and sold: Christie's, London, February 7, 2006, lot 341)
Landau Fine Art, Montreal
Acquired from the above

Alan G. Wilkinson, The Sculpture of Jacques Lipchitz, vol. I, New York, 1996, no. 175-76, illustrations of the bronze and stone versions p. 70

Work is in very good condition. Light brown patina is mottled throughout, inherent to the artist's process. A few minor nicks, on the top of figure's head and a few on edges of base. Otherise fine.
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.

Jacques Lipchitz received a traditional training at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Académie Julian, but early in his career displayed an interest in a wide range of sculptural styles, from classical to tribal. During his early years in Paris, Lipchitz met many of the leading figures of the Parisian avant-garde, who introduced him to new artistic interpretations, including the principles of Cubism. 

By the 1920s, the decade in which he executed the model for Méditation – Homme Assis, Lipchitz had developed an attuned sense of spatial composition influenced largely by his study of the Cubist works of Picasso, Braque and Gris.  The artist was now able to translate effectively his two-dimensional conceptions into a three-dimensional form.  The quizzical, almost theatrical expression of this contemplative figure is typical of the more emotional content of the artist's forms in the 1920s and Lipchitz would often utilize themes from the Commedia dell'arte that had become common currency in the work of Picasso, Gris and many of their contemporaries: "The Pierrots and harlequins were part of our general vocabulary, characters taken from the Commedia dell'arte, particularly popular in the eighteenth century.  We may have been attracted to them originally because of their gay traditional costumes, involving many different colored areas" (Jacques Lipchitz, My Life in Sculpture, New York, 1972, p. 58).