Joseph Bernard

Overall the condition of the bronze is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age and handling. There are a few very small lacunae, including in the drapery. There are a some scratches to the proper left arm. There are a few small patches of greening, including to inbetween the legs. There are a few areas of particular wear, including to the hair above the forehead and to the drapery at the back near the base. There are a few small nicks to the edges and corners of the base.
"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."

Joseph Bernard began his studies in Lyon and received a scholarship in 1886, which enabled him to travel to Paris to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Whilst reference is often made to Auguste Rodin's influence on the sculptor, Bernard never worked in his studio, preferring to work nights at a printing press to finance the early lean years of his career. His fierce independence is reflected in his oeuvre, as he experimented with unconventional techniques such as carving in taille directe and modelling directly in plaster rather than clay. Towards the end of his career, Bernard's own influence on French sculpture had become immense. As one critic of the 1927 Salon d'Automne wrote: 'if all sculptures influenced by Bernard were removed from the galleries, what would there be left?'

The present bronze is a reduction of Bernard's Jeune Danseuse, also known as Jeune Fille à la draperie (Young Woman with Drapery). The original plaster was first exhibited at the Salon d'Automne of 1912, and a bronze version was subsequently commissioned by the State. Initially housed in the Musée du Luxembourg, in 1931 it was exchanged for a cast of the second version of the model (dating to circa 1926). The Luxembourg bronze was subsequently acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, Madrid. Reductions of the first version, measuring 64cm., were produced from 1912. There is another fine cast by Valsuani in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon (Bernard et al. op. cit., p. 311).

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Bernard, R. Julien, L. Stoenesco and P. Grémont Gervaise, Joseph Bernard. Catalogue Raisonné, Paris, 1989, p. 311, no. 185; E. Lebon, Dictionaire des fondeurs de bronze d'art, Perth, 2003, p. 186; P. Elliott, After Rodin. French Figurative Sculpture 1900-1940 from the Marjon Collection, Perth, 2013, pp. 42-43, no. 11