- 87
Prince Paul Troubetzkoy
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description
- Prince Paul Troubetzkoy
- Irene Castle
- signed and dated: © / 1915 Paul Troubetzkoy
- bronze, dark brown patina
Provenance
Irene Castle (1893-1969), New York
by descent to her daughter Barbara McLaughlin Kreutz (1925-2003), Rosemont, Pennsylvania
by descent to the present owners
by descent to her daughter Barbara McLaughlin Kreutz (1925-2003), Rosemont, Pennsylvania
by descent to the present owners
Condition
Overall the condition of the bronze is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The bronze has recently been cleaned and waxed by Rupert Harris Conservation. Prior to cleaning there was paint and dirt to the surface throughout; this was carefully removed. There is currently some minor dirt and oxidation to some crevices, including under the proper right armpit. There is a small lacuna under the proper left foot. There is minor oxidation to the underside 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."
"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
When Mrs. Vernon Castle suddenly appeared she was greeted with the shock of recognition that people always reserve for those who - as Wordsworth once said - create the taste by which they are to be appreciated… It is no coincidence that Stravinsky's early music and Picasso's cubist period coincided with the success of a woman who was to be one of the most remarkable fashion figures the world has ever known. Mrs. Castle was as important an embodiment of the "modern" in the social and fashion sense as these artists were in the world of art.
Cecil Beaton, The Glass of Fashion
Irene Castle was one of the first international celebrities of the 20th century. The daughter of a respected New York physician, she married the English actor Vernon Castle in 1911. The two swiftly gained recognition as a talented dance duo, travelling to Paris where they performed to great acclaim at the Café de Paris, before returning to New York in 1912, where they starred on Broadway and taught dancing to the city’s social-set. It was during this period that Irene gained her reputation as a fashion icon, reputedly being the first woman to wear ‘the bob’ haircut and the loose, simple dresses, which would later be adopted by ‘the flappers’ and set a trend that would endure throughout the 1920’s. Her life with Vernon, who died as a fighter pilot in the First World War, was later dramatized by Irving Berlin in a film entitled, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (1939).
That Prince Paul Troubetzkoy would have been drawn to Irene Castle is no surprise. Troubetzkoy, the Italian-born son of a Russian aristocrat and an American Soprano, mixed with the most celebrated people of his day on both sides of the Atlantic. The present statuette of Irene Castle is one of a small number of portraits of talented young women, who achieved international prominence for their dancing abilities, and who were friends with Troubetzkoy. The closest comparables were modeled within a few years of each other: his Danseuse of circa 1911, representing the French dancer Thamara de Svirsky (1883-1972), and his Lady Constance Stewart Richardson of 1914, depicting the notable Scottish dancer and suffragette (1883-1932). In all three bronzes, the subject appears entirely lost in their thoughts, unaware of the viewer’s presence.
The present bronze is very rare. It is one of only two known sculptures of Irene Castle made by Troubetzkoy, the other being the bronze which was sold in these rooms on 5 December 2012, lot 169 for £67,250, in which the sitter's arms are raised. The present bronze is a particularly beautiful cast, with a very fine waxy surface, which is typical of Troubetzkoy's impressionist bronzes. It is enhanced by the sitter's fashionable 1920's hairstyle, which successfully evokes the glamour and optimism of the age.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Vercelotti, Paolo Troubetzkoy scultore, Intra, 1988, pp. 128-9; G. Piantoni and E. Venturoli, Paolo Troubetzkoy 1866-1938, exhib. cat. Museo del Paesaggio, Turin, 1990, p. 211, no. 171
Cecil Beaton, The Glass of Fashion
Irene Castle was one of the first international celebrities of the 20th century. The daughter of a respected New York physician, she married the English actor Vernon Castle in 1911. The two swiftly gained recognition as a talented dance duo, travelling to Paris where they performed to great acclaim at the Café de Paris, before returning to New York in 1912, where they starred on Broadway and taught dancing to the city’s social-set. It was during this period that Irene gained her reputation as a fashion icon, reputedly being the first woman to wear ‘the bob’ haircut and the loose, simple dresses, which would later be adopted by ‘the flappers’ and set a trend that would endure throughout the 1920’s. Her life with Vernon, who died as a fighter pilot in the First World War, was later dramatized by Irving Berlin in a film entitled, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (1939).
That Prince Paul Troubetzkoy would have been drawn to Irene Castle is no surprise. Troubetzkoy, the Italian-born son of a Russian aristocrat and an American Soprano, mixed with the most celebrated people of his day on both sides of the Atlantic. The present statuette of Irene Castle is one of a small number of portraits of talented young women, who achieved international prominence for their dancing abilities, and who were friends with Troubetzkoy. The closest comparables were modeled within a few years of each other: his Danseuse of circa 1911, representing the French dancer Thamara de Svirsky (1883-1972), and his Lady Constance Stewart Richardson of 1914, depicting the notable Scottish dancer and suffragette (1883-1932). In all three bronzes, the subject appears entirely lost in their thoughts, unaware of the viewer’s presence.
The present bronze is very rare. It is one of only two known sculptures of Irene Castle made by Troubetzkoy, the other being the bronze which was sold in these rooms on 5 December 2012, lot 169 for £67,250, in which the sitter's arms are raised. The present bronze is a particularly beautiful cast, with a very fine waxy surface, which is typical of Troubetzkoy's impressionist bronzes. It is enhanced by the sitter's fashionable 1920's hairstyle, which successfully evokes the glamour and optimism of the age.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Vercelotti, Paolo Troubetzkoy scultore, Intra, 1988, pp. 128-9; G. Piantoni and E. Venturoli, Paolo Troubetzkoy 1866-1938, exhib. cat. Museo del Paesaggio, Turin, 1990, p. 211, no. 171