- 155
Alfred Boucher
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Alfred Boucher
- L'Hirondelle Blessé
- signed: A. BOUCHER inscribed: SUSSE F. Paris E.dt and stamped: COPY RIGHT BY SUSSE FRES 1898 JH
- bronze, light brown and dark brown-green patina, on a veined red marble and gilt bronze base
Condition
Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is some minor dark spotting to the surface and one or two minor dark marks to the abdomen. There is an original casting joint at the proper right arm. There is some dryness to the patina. There is minor greening to the wings at the back. The figure is cast separately to the bronze base and the original joint is slightly visible. There are a few small chips to the edges of the marble base and some tarnishing to the metal mounts.
"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."
"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
Boucher created some of the most delicate and alluring nudes of the late 19th Century. They range from the Rodinesque Volubilis showing a dreaming girl emerging from a roughly hewn surround, to the ethereality of the present model. L'Hirondelle Blessée was exhibited at the Salon of 1898 to great acclaim. This sensitive model has been said to evoke Carrier-Belleuse' Hébé endormie and to embody the grace and elegance of Boucher's earlier sculpture, Volubilis. The model is particularly famous today as it was reworked by Damien Hirst for his 2008 marble Anatomy of an Angel, sold in these rooms on 15/09/08 for £1,071,650.
RELATED LITERATURE
J. Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850-1934 "sculpteur - humaniste", exhib. cat. Musée Paul Dubois - Alfred Boucher, Nogent-sur-Seine, 2000, p. 52, no. 46
RELATED LITERATURE
J. Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850-1934 "sculpteur - humaniste", exhib. cat. Musée Paul Dubois - Alfred Boucher, Nogent-sur-Seine, 2000, p. 52, no. 46