Lot 10
  • 10

Joseph-Alexandre Renoir

Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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Description

  • Joseph-Alexandre Renoir
  • La reine Bérénice consacre sa chevelure au dieu Mars
  • signed: AE.RENOIR 1853 and inscribed: IPPOLUTW QEW (TO THE GOD HIPPOLYTUS)
  • white marble

Condition

Overall the marble is in very good condition. There is a loss to the one end of the clippers in her hand. There are some scattered filled inclusions and some naturally occurring grey veining in the middle.
"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

This exquisite marble was sculpted by Joseph-Alexandre Renoir. It is one of only two known marble versions of the subject by Renoir and is the last documented work by the artist, who died young, aged forty-one. The other known version, a full size marble, was sold in these rooms on 10th December 2002. 

The subject is Queen Bérénice, who was the wife of Ptolemy III Eueurgetes (246-221 BC). She vowed to sacrifice her extraordinary amber-coloured hair to the gods if her husband returned home unharmed as conqueror of Asia. When he duly returned, she hung up her tresses in the temple, but they were stolen on the first night. In order to please the furious king, the court astrologer, Conon of Samos, explained that the winds had wafted Bérénice's locks to heaven, where they formed the constellation of stars near the tail of Leo, called Coma Berenices.

Renoir's early death transformed the Bérénice from a work that hailed the beginning of his artistic maturity to the final statement of his exceptional sculptural talent. The bold composition and delicate carving evident in the present marble demonstrate Renoir's great early promise as a sculptor, a career which was tragically cut short.

RELATED LITERATURE
S. Lami, Dictionnaire des sculpteurs de l'École française au dix-neuvième siècle, vol. iv, pp. 140-141