Rodin, Auguste

one to Robert Barrett Browning, asking him to keep secret his intention to make a bust of Victor Hugo, observing that so long as one does not have a choice it is necessary to be prudent, confiding that he has spent periods of exhaustion, which he now thinks he has escaped, and mentioning Théodule Ribot

...vous me rendez le petit service...de tenir secret l'intention que j'ai de faire le buste de Victor Hugo...



3 pages, 8vo, no place or date, [c. 1883?];



and one to an unidentified recipient, mentioning one of his most celebrated works, the bronze sculpture known as Le Penseur (The Thinker)



...ma joie sera grande, j’en suis bien sûr, de m’appesantir surtout sur les pages que vous avez écrits sur mon œuvre à l’occasion de l’inauguration du Penseur…



1 page, 8vo, Meudon-Val-Fleury, 28 June 1910

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"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."

Robert Barrett (Pen) Browning (1849-1912), the son of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, was a student of Rodin's between 1882-1883. Rodin's bust of Victor Hugo was made between February and March 1883.