Albert Bartholomé

Overall the condition of the bust is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. An attractive translucent wax and lacquer mix has been applied to the bronze on top of the original patina. There is minor rubbing to the patina at some of the high points underneath. There are a few minor nicks, including to the forehead, to the nose and to the top of the head, and a few very light 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. 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."

This beautifully cast bronze bust is taken from Bartholomé's full figure composition Jeune fille se coiffant, which was first exhibited to acclaim at the 1906 Salon of the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts. Bartholomé presents a young bather, who modestly dries her hair, her pose, with arms and hair covering her breasts, conveying a sense of modesty. The figure combines the classicism of the Crouching Venus of antiquity (see the Lely Venus in the Royal Collection, exhibited at the British Museum), with a gentle modern naturalism. Described as one of the highlights of the Salon by the Magazine of Fine Arts, the figure was praised by critics including Louis Vauxcelles.

Albert Bartholomé began his career as a painter after serving in the French army during the Franco-Prussian war. After the death of his first wife, Périe de Fleury, he was left distraught and turned to sculpture at the suggestion of his close friend, the painter Edgas Degas, as a way to exorcise his grief, sculpting his wife's tombstone for the Bouillant cemebrary, Crépy-en-Valois. Many of his works exhibit a mournful air, in tune with contemporary symbolist sculpture. His most famous commission is the magnificent Monument to the Dead in the Père Lachaise cemetary, Paris. He later concentrated on female nudes, two of which are in the Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Pingeot, La sculpture française au XIXe siecle, exh. cat, Grand Palais, Paris, 1986, pp. 224-230; A-B. Fonsmark, Catalogue of French Sculpture 2: Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, 1999, pp. 66-69, nos. 17-18