Arthur Lee

Estate of Samuel Reed (Sold: Sotheby's, New York, April 28, 2007, lot 15)
Estate of Horace Ingraham Crary, Connecticut
Acquired from the above estate by the present owner

Wayne Craven, Sculpture in America, Wilmington, 1960, p. 56, figure 15.5 illustrated (white marble version)

In generally good condition; patina is slightly rubbed in various places, a few scattered scratches.
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.

In his book, Sculpture in America, Wayne Craven writes of the present sculpture, "As the name implies, 'Volupte' represents the full bloom of womanhood, softly sensuous with graceful contours.  Head, arms and lower legs were omitted as necessary to the expression of the loveliness of the womanly form, for Lee was seeking to reproduce its natural beauty in three-dimensional form rather than any of the academic 'isms', which too often had become ends in themselves."

The original white marble of "Volupte", carved in Paris in 1915, is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.