L11116

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Lot 677
  • 677

Leopold Bernhard Bernstamm, 1859 - 1910

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • Leopold Bernhard Bernstamm
  • A fine and rare portrait of Emperor Nicholas II
  • inscribed Bernstamm, Paris 1897, with Siot-Decauville Foundry mark

  • silvered bronze

  • Height: 37.5cm, 14 3/4 in.

Condition

The silver has tarnished with age. Otherwise in excellent 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

A French sculptor of Russian origin, Léopold Bernstamm was a master of different media including bronze and marble. As a well-rounded artist, he revived the tradition of the Grand Tour; following his training at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg in 1874, he embarked on a journey to Italy to discover the remnants of ancient Rome and the innovations of the Florentine Renaissance. Paris, as the capital of cultural ferment and artistic heritage, proved formative for the artist when he was a student in Marius Jean Antonin Mercié's studio in 1885.

The most important commissions of the artist's career were a series of portraits of great men of the political, artistic and cultural French and Russian societies, including Tsar Nicholas II and his family, all of which are remarkable for their faithful recreation of the appearance of the sitters. Several portraits of Nicholas II by Bernstamm are known to exist, but little information is available about his work with the Empress. The diaries of Nicholas II provide some insight; between 20th and 25th September 1896, he wrote in his diary: "After breakfast, sat for Bernstamm... Had breakfast at Uncle Vladimir's. Returned home. Alix had to sit for Bernstamm..."