- 219
Auguste Rodin
Estimate
70,000 - 90,000 GBP
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Description
- Auguste Rodin
- Éternel Printemps, second état, 4ème réduction dite aussi 'n°2'
- inscribed Rodin and stamped with the foundry mark F. Barbedienne, Fondeur
- bronze
- height: 24.8cm., 9 3/4 in.
Provenance
Daniel Vincent, Paris & Le Quesnoy (a gift from the French government in the 1920s)
By descent from the above to the present owner
By descent from the above to the present owner
Literature
Ionel Jianou & Cécile Goldscheider, Rodin, Paris, 1967, illustration of another cast pl. 56-57
John L. Tancock, The Sculpture of Auguste Rodin, Philadelphia, 1976, no. 32b, illustration of another cast p. 243
Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, The Bronzes of Rodin, Catalogue of Works in the Musée Rodin, Paris, 2007, illustration of another cast p. 334
John L. Tancock, The Sculpture of Auguste Rodin, Philadelphia, 1976, no. 32b, illustration of another cast p. 243
Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, The Bronzes of Rodin, Catalogue of Works in the Musée Rodin, Paris, 2007, illustration of another cast p. 334
Condition
Attractive brown patina. There is some dust in the crevices and handling marks consistent with age. There are a few very minor scuff marks to a few protruding areas of the base. Otherwise this work is in very good 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."
"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
Éternel printemps was one of Rodin's most popular sculptures of the 1880s. The theme of embracing lovers was one of the artist's most iconic, and calls to mind the story of Paolo and Francesca, Dante's mythical paramours who were condemned to spend eternity locked in a maelstrom of passion. For the figure of the woman Rodin used the highly sensual Torse d'Adèle, 1882, which was named after the model who posed for the sculptor. This form was first used to the left of the tympanum of the Porte de l'Enfer and again later in La Chute d'un Ange, but it gained its greatest fame when it was united with the figure of the youthful male in the present work. When Rodin received a commission for the first of the marble versions, it became apparent that the outstretched left arm and right leg of the male figure, extending freely into space in the first state, would have to be modified. Consequently the base was enlarged to provide support for the leg and arm. In addition to six examples in marble, a bronze edition incorporating the changes was cast by the Leblanc Barbedienne foundry between 1898 and 1918.
Animated by the dazzling play of light on the surface and the sweeping upward movement of the man's body, the figures seem ready to take flight. As Ionel Jianou and Cécile Goldscheider have noted: 'Rodin is an artist who can see and dares to express in all sincerity what he has seen. He discovers the enchantment of light and its resources, the vibration and intimate movement of surfaces and planes, the throb of passion that animates form. He uses 'highlights, heavy shadows, paleness, quivering, vaporous half-tones, and transitions so finely shaded that they seem to dissolve into air', giving his sculpture 'the radiance of living flesh' (Ionel Jianou & Cécile Goldscheider, op. cit., p. 19).
From dealing with the theme of love in an allegorical way, Rodin began treating it in more human terms. As evident in the present work, there is a marked increase in the eroticism of his art and a corresponding growth in the daring movement of the poses which could be a reflection of the artist's studio practise allowing the models to move freely and independently. Rodin himself proclaimed: 'Sculpture does not need to be original, what it needs is life. [...] I used to think that movement was the chief thing in sculpture and in all I did it was what I tried to attain. [...] Grief, joy, thoughts - in our art all becomes action' (quoted in ibid., pp. 19-20).
As the plaque confirms, the present cast was given to its first owner Daniel Vincent, by the French Teachers Association in gratitude for his service as Minister for Education and Culture. In addition to his important cabinet role, Vincent was also deputy mayor of Quesnoy. The work has stayed in the family since it was acquired in the 1920s.
Animated by the dazzling play of light on the surface and the sweeping upward movement of the man's body, the figures seem ready to take flight. As Ionel Jianou and Cécile Goldscheider have noted: 'Rodin is an artist who can see and dares to express in all sincerity what he has seen. He discovers the enchantment of light and its resources, the vibration and intimate movement of surfaces and planes, the throb of passion that animates form. He uses 'highlights, heavy shadows, paleness, quivering, vaporous half-tones, and transitions so finely shaded that they seem to dissolve into air', giving his sculpture 'the radiance of living flesh' (Ionel Jianou & Cécile Goldscheider, op. cit., p. 19).
From dealing with the theme of love in an allegorical way, Rodin began treating it in more human terms. As evident in the present work, there is a marked increase in the eroticism of his art and a corresponding growth in the daring movement of the poses which could be a reflection of the artist's studio practise allowing the models to move freely and independently. Rodin himself proclaimed: 'Sculpture does not need to be original, what it needs is life. [...] I used to think that movement was the chief thing in sculpture and in all I did it was what I tried to attain. [...] Grief, joy, thoughts - in our art all becomes action' (quoted in ibid., pp. 19-20).
As the plaque confirms, the present cast was given to its first owner Daniel Vincent, by the French Teachers Association in gratitude for his service as Minister for Education and Culture. In addition to his important cabinet role, Vincent was also deputy mayor of Quesnoy. The work has stayed in the family since it was acquired in the 1920s.