Alfred Boucher

Overall the condition of the marble is very good. There is dirt to the surface throughout and some minor wear consistent with age. There is faint naturally occurring veining visible on the surface including to the right cheek, neck and proper right breast. The marble would benefit from a professional clean.
"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."

Volubilis is one of Alfred Boucher's best known and most celebrated models. Its genesis lies in a figure Boucher produced circa 1894 for the tomb of the bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892), in the cemetery of Père Lachaise. The sculptor presented a marble version of the model under the title Volubilis in the Salon des Champs-Elysées of 1896, and another example was exhibited in the Salon of 1897 under the title Aux champs. Boucher went on to carve numerous versions of the model in full figure, three quarter figure, and bust form, as well as a version with just the young woman's head. The present marble corresponds to no. A38D in Piette's recent catalogue raisoné, Volubilis buste. The success of the model can be explained by the way that, in many versions, including the present marble, the girl emerges from the rock, recalling works by Rodin and Michelangelo.

Boucher's model was inspired by a poem by René François Sully Prud'homme (1839-1907), which discusses the volubilis, a flower. In Boucher's model, like a flower unfurling its petals, the girl emerges from the roughly-hewn rock. The present version extends to just below the breast and the delicate distinction between the hard rock and the girl's soft, smooth skin is particularly beguiling. 

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850-1934 "sculpteur – humaniste", exh. cat. Musée Paul Dubois – Alfred Boucher, Nogent-sur-Seine, 2000, pp. 50-51, nos. 45; J. Piette, Alfred Boucher 1850-1934: L'oeuvre sculpté, catalogue raisonné, Paris, 2014, pp. 186-187, no. A38D

The present lot is sold with an expertise dated 20 December 2015 and written by Jacques Piette, author of 'Alfred Boucher, l'oeuvre sculpté, catalogue raisonné'