- 270
Fernando Botero
Estimate
350,000 - 450,000 USD
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Description
- Fernando Botero
- Reclining Figure (La France)
- incised with the artist's signature and number 1/6 on the base
- bronze
- 18 by 52 1/2 by 16 in. 45.7 by 40.6 by 133.4 cm
- Executed in 1985, this work is number 1 from an edition of 6.
Provenance
Marlborough Gallery, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Exhibited
Martigny, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Botero, April - June 1990, cat. no. 95, p. 120, illustrated in color
Literature
Edward J. Sullivan, Botero Sculpture, New York 1986, pp. 108-109, illustrated in color
Condition
The sculpture is in excellent condition. The sculpture displays a warm mottled light brown patina, typical to the artist's selection during this period. No damage or excessive wear is evident on the surface. A faint 1" hairline scratch was noted on top of the base near the stomach. The sculpture is clean and has a fresh protective wax coating on it. The sculpture is structurally sound. (This condition report has been prepared courtesy of Wilson Conservation, LLC)
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 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.
Catalogue Note
Rendered in luminous copper-toned bronze, Fernando Botero’s La France is a sophisticated early example of his signature style. Executed just ten years after he first began working in bronze, La France exhibits the elegant play of volumes and timeless stillness that characterize Botero's sculptural oeuvre. Edward Sullivan discusses La France in his seminal text Botero Sculpture, published a year after its execution in 1986: “Silent meditation is.. captured in Botero’s 1985 reclining figure entitled La France. Here the woman suggests a society lady lounging in her boudoir. She rests her head, with its bouffant hairdo, on her hand, while her other hand idly fingers a necklace. She is Mae West imagined by Botero” (Edward Sullivan, Botero Sculpture, New York 1986, p. 102). Botero frequently works in dialogue with the masters of Western art history, and La France is no exception. Deriving inspiration from Orientalist tradition of the reclining odalisque, Botero utilizes the gentle drape of her necklace to emphasize her nudity. Boldly occupying our space with the voluptuous s-curve of her body, her relaxed gaze and casual gesture lend her a playful sensuality as she seems to invite the viewer to draw closer.