Jacques Hérold

Private collection, Paris

Paris, Galerie de Seine, Collection Fantôme, 1973

Philippe Soupault, Collection Fantôme, exh. cat. Galerie de Seine, Paris, 1973, pp. 25, illustrated; p. 109

Overall, the condition of the bust is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is minor dryness to the patina in some of the crevices. There is minor greening to the proper left breast. There are two small specks of paint to the back of the head. There are a few chips to the edges and corners of the black marble base.
"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 engaging surrealist model by the Romanian born sculptor Jacques Hérold was conceived in 1942. The present bronze was cast by the Susse Foundry in Paris; it is numbered five of an edition of six and is dated 1945. Hérold moved to Paris in 1930 and swiftly associated himself with fellow Romanian artists Constantin Brâncuși and Victor Brauner. His interests aligned particularly with the Surrealists from 1934, and he was involved in the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme in Paris in 1947, where he exhibited his Le Grand transparent, of which a cast was included alongside the present bronze in the 1973 exhibition Collection Fantôme at the Galerie de Seine. Femmoiselle depicts a young woman with flayed face revealing a complex web of veins from which recognisable facial features emerge but are simultaneously compartmentalised. The whole balances on the figure's breasts thereby recalling traditional bust forms but somehow enhancing the sense of disconnection from the wider human body.
A later cast of the present model (1985) was sold at Sotheby's New York on 6 November 2003.