Ground Breaking: Works from the Collection of Joseph & Blanche Blank

Elie Nadelman

Man in Top Hat

Lot Closed

December 11, 07:44 PM GMT

Estimate

50,000 - 70,000 USD

Lot Details

Description

Ground Breaking: Works from the Collection of Joseph & Blanche Blank

Elie Nadelman

1882 - 1946

Man in Top Hat

inscribed EN and stamped 1/6 N (along the base)

bronze with dark brown patina

height: 27 inches (68.6 cm) on a 4 inch (10.2 cm) wooden base

Modeled circa 1926; cast circa 1974-75.

The following condition report has been provided by Tatti Art Conservation, New York, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's: The above piece is in overall good to excellent condition. The modeled brown patina presents well without any major disruptions or deviations. The current protective wax coating is new and has been applied evenly without runs or unsightly build up. This sculpture was recently given a cleaning using mild detergents and natural bristle brushes. Once cleaned, the area was surveyed for discrepancies and any major deviations in the finish was corrected. Once harmonized, the surface was given an application of microcrystalline wax and buffed to a soft sheen. Additionally, areas of light scratching and paint loss on the base were touched up accordingly.

The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.

Family of the artist, circa 1974-75
[with]Zabriskie Gallery, New York, 1980
Joseph H. Hirshhorn, New York, 1980 (acquired from the above)
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 1981 (bequest of the above; (sold: Christie's, New York, December 1, 1989, lot 160)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

Barbara Haskell, Elie Nadelman: Sculptor of Modern Life, New York, 2003, pp. 157, 159, another example illustrated, fig. 189, p. 166
Lincoln Kirstein, Elie Nadelman, New York, 1973, no. 71, p. 294 (reference to the galvano plastique)

The present work is number one from a limited edition of six casts authorized by the artist's son, Jan Nadelman. The edition was cast by Modern Art Foundry, New York and the present cast produced circa 1974-75 and sold to Joseph H. Hirshhorn by Zabriskie Gallery in 1980. This posthumous edition was cast from a unique galvano plastique.