Aristide Maillol

Dina Vierny, Paris
Perls Gallery, New York (acquired from the above)
Gimpel Weitzenhoffer Ltd., New York
Acquired from the above in 1974

Andrew Carduff Ritchie, Sculpture of the Twentieth Century, New York, 1952, illustration of another cast pp. 76-77
Carola Giedion-Welcker, Contemporary Sculpture: An Evolution in Volume and Space, New York, 1955, illustration of another cast p. 24
Waldemar George, Aristide Maillol et l'âme de la sculpture, New York, 1965, illustration of another cast p. 142
Waldemar George, Aristide Maillol, Paris, 1971, illustration of another cast p. 60
Michel Bouille, Maillol, la femme toujours recommencée, Paris, 1989, illustration of another cast pp. 36-37
Bertrand Lorquin, Maillol, London, 1995, illustration of another cast p. 57

Excellent condition. The bronze bears a rich brown patina that is in excellent condition. There are no scratches or abrasions on the surface. The sculpture is structurally sound.
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.
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Torse de l'Action enchainée derives from Maillol's full-figure monument to the French revolutionary Louis-Auguste Blanqui (1805-1881).  It is modeled after the torso of a heroic female figure who struggles to free her hands that are bound behind her back (fig. 1).  By focusing specifically on the figure's center of mass, Maillol demonstrates how her muscular torso retains all of the forcefulness of this act of defiance. 

Discussing the Metropolitan Museum's acquisition of another cast of Torse in 1929, Preston Remington wrote the following about this sculpture:  "The torso of L'Action enchainée shows Maillol at his best as a consummate master of the human form.  From the standpoint of accurate observation it is impeccable; but on the other hand, it is in no sense a mere physiological study. The torso is typical of Maillol's art in that it both respects and transcends the realm of visual reality.  It is a prime example of the use of the nude as a vehicle for expression of intellectual symbolism" (P. Remington, Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, vol. XXIV, no. 11, November 1929).