Aristide Maillol

The artist's studio
Mr. A. Conger Goodyear, New York (acquired directly from the artist)
Thence by descent

John Rewald, Maillol, Paris, 1939, illustrated p. 143, listed p. 167 (illustration of another cast)

Terracotta. Surface in generally good condition. Surface dirt visible. Hairline fracture visible at extended ankle and raised knee. In otherwise 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

An avid collector of late 19th and 20th century American and European art, A. Conger Goodyear was best known as a founder and the first president of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and may be credited with introducing the works of Maillol, Bourdelle, Brancusi, Epstein and other leaders in the field of 20^th century European sculpture to an American audience. Though no official biography has ever been published, Goodyear's papers chronicle his first meeting with Maillol in Marly-le-Roi in detail: "We went across to the house to look at drawings. I bought a flock of them and after a long argument got Maillol to make me two of his Tanagra-like terra cotta small figures, which he baked himself. Money meant nothing. He opened a closet where the shelves were overflowing with little bank notes... Maillol was like that in all things. A very simple man, caring little for anything outside of his studio. His single subject, almost without exception, was a woman. But, as he said: ‘What is there more beautiful’?” (A. Congor Goodyear, “Sidelights,” n.d.). The present lot is one of the two terracotta figures acquired by Congor Goodyear on this visit.