Antoine-Louis Barye French, 1796 - 1875

Victor Franses Gallery, London, acquired 1996

M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Barye. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Paris, 2000, F 25, p. 98

Bronze with rubbing to patina particularly to backs and backs of legs leading to some discoloration. Light surface scratches to bronze and surface dirt.
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.

The Three Graces were modeled as a component of the Candelabrum of Nine Lights, see lot 78 of the present sale. This was a part of the garniture commissioned by the Duc de Montpensier (1824-1890) in 1840 for a mantle-top ensemble to frame Barye's Roger and Angelica on the Hippogriff. According to Glenn F. Benge, "the female nude enters Barye's oeuvre as a significant new theme in the candelabrum, a late complement to the heroic male nudes Barye had created as early as the Milo of Crotona medallion of 1819.  Barye's Three Graces are not composed in the well-known arrangement of the ancient type in Siena, for all three figures face inward toward the central shaft of the design, as in the ancient Roman The Three Nymphs as Caryatids, once in the Villa Borghese in Rome." The Three Graces which topped the candelabrum were then edited by Barye in a pair of shorter, six light candelabrum as well as in a pair of incense-burners, and the rarest-form, the present lot, a stand-alone group.