Carl Vilhelm Emil Milles

Millesgården, Lidingö, Stockholm

Overall the condition of the bronze is excellent with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few very slight casting flaws in some of the crevices. There are a few minor nicks, including to 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."

In 1918, The Swedish Academy of Letters commissioned Carl Milles to model a monument in honour of the eminent poet and Bishop, Esaias Tegnér (1782-1846). This elegant torso is a study for the grand monument, which today stands in Strömparterren, Stockholm. Milles took inspiration for the model from one of Tegnér's most celebrated poems, Sång till solen (Song to the sun), which directly invoked the sun, choosing to depict the lithe and classically beautiful form of a sun singer. Milles worked on the model for ten years. The version in Stockholm is full-bodied: the singer raises his arms upwards to the sky and his mouth is opened with song. For the present cast, the artist chose to omit both arms and head in emulation of an antique sculpture from fifth-century Greece, weathered by time, but perhaps all the more honorific with its implied age, history and resilience. There is a very fine cast of the present model in the Tate Modern (inv. no. T02105).

Milles achieved international renown in his own lifetime. He was conferred the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1935 by Yale University and elected an honorary member of the Royal Academy in London. He is today recognised as one of Sweden’s leading 19^th- and 20^th- century sculptors.

RELATED LITERATURE
M.P. Verneuil, Carl Milles. Sculpteur Suédois, Paris/ Brussels, 1929, pl. 120-122; E. Bénézit, Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs, Gründ, 1999, vol. ix, pp. 637-638