HANS BELLMER | Composition pieds et mains

Pierre and Franca Belfond
Sale: Artcurial, Paris, March 26, 2013, lot 9
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

Executed on cream laid paper, not laid down, affixed to the overmount along all four edges with tape. There are a few faint creases in places, notably in the lower left corner. There is a light stain, possibly trace of signature, to the lower part of the left edge. The sheet is slightly light stained with some scattered dots of foxing. This work is in overall good 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."

The fourteen drawings presented here provide a renewed insight into the profound and diverse universe of the cerebral imagery of Hans Bellmer. Inspired by the writings of Georges Bataille and the Marquis de Sade, Bellmer's work focuses on the psycho-analytical interpretation and visual representation of the human anatomy, sexuality and obsession, including the deconstruction and reconstruction of the human body. As a draughtsman and photographer, he contributed to numerous Surrealist magazines and exhibitions in the 1930s and moved to Paris in 1938 where he was welcomed by André Breton and the Surrealists. The group of exquisite drawings focuses on several of the artist's central and essential trademark subjects.
 
As a young Parisian, while completing his psychoanalysis clinical university studies, the collector of these drawings was fortunate to encounter the artist on numerous occasions, however the student regrettably was too young to engage with Bellmer on any meaningful analytical level. Nevertheless, his interest in the artist never diminished and he wrote important contributions to the understanding and appreciation of Bellmer including "Le Sexe et son double" published in a special issue of Obliques, devoted to Bellmer (1975). This publication is arguably the most comprehensive overview of the artist's visual vocabulary. The collector's finest article "Sublimations et identifications croisées: les jeux à deux de Hans Bellmer et d'Unica Zürn" was published in 1998 in La Revue Française de Psychanalyse (no. 4). While many of Bellmer's compositions have a tendency to go far beyond the imagination of more typical artistic erotica, this private collection of drawings focuses on the psycho-analytical subjects of the artist.