Rembrandt Bugatti

Adrien-Aurelien Hébrard, Paris (before 1934)
Galerie Alain Lesieutre, Paris
Joey & Toby Tanenbaum, Toronto (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 26, 1994, lot 106)
Private Collection
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2003

Mary Harvey, The Bronzes of Rembrandt Bugatti (1885-1916): An Illustrated Catalogue and Biography, London, 1979, no. 2, illustration of another cast p. 24
Philippe Dejean, Carlo, Rembrandt, Ettore, Jean Bugatti, New York, 1982, illustration of another cast p. 211
Jacques Chalom des Cordes & Véronique Fromanger des Cordes, Rembrandt Bugatti, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1987, illustration of another cast p. 289
Véronique Fromanger, Rembrandt Bugatti Sculpteur- Répertoire Monographique, Paris, 2009, no. 308, illustration of another cast p. 333

Work is in excellent condition. Varied golden brown patina. Minor patina rubbing at left and right elbows and in one small spot on top of head. Minor surface dirt, otherwise 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.

Rembrandt Bugatti's father, Carlo, moved his family to Paris from Milan in 1904 after achieving commercial success in France for his innovative furniture design.  Young Rembradt, a sculptor in his late teens, frequented the Jardin des Plantes where he studied and modeled the resident fauna.  Rembrandt's skill as a sculptor, however, was recognized by his father when he and Paul Troubetskoy inadvertently discovered a sculpted cow that Rembrandt had fashioned when he was only sixteen (Mary Harvey, p. 6).

Adrien Hébrard, the Parisian dealer and foundry owner, who represented such artists as Degas, Troubetskoy and Pompom, quickly signed up young Rembrandt after recognizing his innate talent.  Indeed, the critical acclaim of Bugatti's sculpture was voiced widely in Parisian art circles.  Given his auspicious start and favorable reviews, Adrien Hébrard provided a stipend for Rembrandt to travel to Antwerp in 1907.  The Belgian port was the key point of entry for most animals destined to the new and expanding zoos in Europe.

"Apart from short stays in Paris where he had a studio..., Bugatti lived mainly in Antwerp from 1907 up to the outbreak of World War I, and certainly the happiest and most productive part of his life was spent in this old and interesting Belgian city.... These were the days of the big game hunters, long before legislation to protect rare species, import licenses, etc., who vied to collect the biggest, the strangest and most beautiful animals, many new to science.  They did not always 'bring them back alive,' and, in fact, the casualty rates were often appalling, particularly amongst the more delicate species.  For example, of monkeys and apes only a small percentage withstood the six weeks' voyage on deck in a small crate (Ibid., p. 10).  Given this, specimens most often made their way to the Antwerp Zoo, considered to be the best repository for animals in the world. 

Officials of the Zoo actively encouraged artists, both painters and sculptors alike, to work on their grounds.  Alberic Collin, a friend and contemporary of Bugatti, is one of several artists who worked with the likes of Arthur Dupon, Eduard Deckers, Oscar Jespers, Frans Jochems and Josué Dupon at the animal park.  It was Jochems, however, who described "the speed with which Bugatti modeled his animals in clay with his fingers" (Ibid, n.p.).

When examining the present lot, the viewer can immediately appreciate the quick, artful application of medium, culminating in a bravado expression of a primate ready to swagger from his base. The lost wax process employed by Hébrard, for casting the work, enabled every detail to be captured, including even a portion of the artist's fingerprint visible on the chimpanzee's left arm.  The rich brown patina, another trademark of Hébrard foundry is also appreciable. 

Fig. 1 The Monkey House, Antwerp Zoo, circa 1910, photograph: The Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp