CÉSAR | Plaque femme

Acquired directly from the artist by the current owners

Kassel, Documenta III, 1964; catalogue, p. 216, no. 2, other example
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Trois Sculpteurs, César, Roël d'Haese, Tinguely; catalogue, no. 21, other example 
Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, César, 1966; catalogue, no.21, other example 
Duisburg, Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, César, 1966; catalogue, no.20, other example 
Marseille, Musée Cantini, César, Rétrospective, 1966; catalogue, no. 26,other example
Arles, Cloître Saint-Trophime, César, 1973; catalogue, no.2, other example 
Milano, Rotonda Besana, César Rétrospective, 1974 ; catalogue, no. 3, other example 
Genève, Musée Rath; Grenoble, Musée de Peinture et de Sculpture; Knokke-le-Zoute, Casino; Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen; Paris, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, César rétrospective des sculptures, 1976; catalogue, p. 39, no. 25, other example 
Antibes, Musée Picasso, César, la question de la sculpture, 1978; catalogue, p. 26, no. 16, other example
Perpignan, Fondation du Château de Jau, Arman & César, 1979
Liège, Musée d'Art Moderne, Parc Boverie, César, 1982; catalogue, p. 34, no. 25, other example 
Tokyo, Seibu Museum of Art, César, Tokyo 1982, 1982 ; p. 44, no. 26, other example
Paris, Pavillon des Arts, César, 1983
Jouy-en-Josas, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain, Les fers de César, 1984 ; catalogue, p. 69, other example 
Dunkerque, Musée d'Art Contemporain, César, 1955 – 1985, 1985
Marseille, ARCA Centre d'Art Contemporain, Jardin Secret, 1986; catalogue, p. 57, other example
Sète, Musée Paul-Valéry, César, Les Bronzes, 1991; catalogue, p. 25, other example
Marseille, Centre de la Vieille Charité, 11 July – 12 September 1993, César, œuvres de 1947 à 1993; catalogue, p. 105, illustrated 
Vence, Galerie Beaubourg, Château Notre-Dame des Fleurs, Portraits de Femmes, 1994; catalogue, p. 19, other example 
Monte-Carlo, Marisa Del Re Gallery, Festival International des Arts César à Monte-Carlo, 1994; catalogue, p. 105, other example 
Taipei, Musée des Beaux-Arts, César, une rétrospective, 1996-1997; catalogue, p. 109, other example
Monaco, Forum Grimaldi, César, l'Instinct du fer, 16 March - 21 April 2002; catalogue, p. 115, illustrated in colours
Paris, Centre Pompidou, César La Rétrospective, 13 December – 16 March 2018; catalogue, p.94-95, other example illustrated in colours

Pierre Volboudt, César: l'oeuvre récente XXème siècle, no.22, p. 83, 1963, other example illustrated
L'Arte Moderna no. 107, Volume XII, Milano, 1967, p. 315, other example illustrated
Pierre Restany, César, Paris, 1975, p.59, no.41, other example illustrated
Pierre Restany, César, New York, 1976, p.59, no.41, other example illustrated
Pierre Restany, César, Milano, 1988, p. 35, no. 22, other example illustrated
Pierre Restany, César, Paris, 1988, p.191, illustrated in colours
Jean-Charles Hachet, César ou les métamorphoses d'un grand art, Paris, 1989, p. 29, no. 28, illustrated
Denyse Durand-Ruel, César, Catalogue Raisonné, Volume I, 1947-1969, Rome, 1994, p.394-5, no.521, other example illustrated
Pierre Nahon, L'histoire de la Galerie Beaubourg II, 1988-1994, Paris, 2009, p.264, illustrated in colours
Pierre Nahon, L'histoire de la Galerie Beaubourg III, 1994-2009, Paris, 2009, p.241, illustrated in colours

The colours are fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration although the overall tonality of the patina is less shiny. There are oxidation marks in keeping with the natural ageing of the bronze medium, as partly visible in the catalogue illustration. There is dust in the creases. A wear mark is located in the lower left quadrant. Dirt marks are located throughout the surface, most notably on the reverse. The structure on the reverse contains leaves due to previous external conservation. This work is in good original condition.
"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."

I have a sense for the material. My brain activates when my hands are in contact with warm, hard or soft elements. The body of a woman for example.
César

Women, the woman, Cesar's fascination and dark obsession. He adores them as much as he fears them. Restless and skeptical, generous and egoist, he had to get the thinnest, the most beautiful and slender ones. His revenge too, even if he finally got duped for wanting to take everything without ever giving anything. "When I think about all the girls I have known, from the little maids to the middleclass women, all the ambiguous situations I found myself in, all the bottles I labeled for my father and delivered, all the walls I painted... at the time when I was a...house painter."