1
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), ÉTUDE DE MAIN GAUCHE, HAND NO. 38, CONCEIVED CA. 1885-1900; THIS BRONZE V
ÉTUDE DE MAIN GAUCHE, HAND NO. 38, CONCEIVED CA. 1885-1900; THIS BRONZE VERSION CAST BETWEEN CA. 1970-1980
bronze with brown patina
signed "A. Rodin" lower right recto and with the foundry mark ".G. Rudier. Fondeur Paris" lower right verso; 12 casts of this sculpture were produced, this being number 4/12 according to the provenance.
3.63 x 1.75 x 1.63 in — 9.2 x 4.4 x 4.1 cm
Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, QC
Private Collection, Ontario, purchased from the above in 1967 at the exhibition, "1967 - Cinquantenaire de la mort d'Auguste Rodin 1840-1917"
Waddington's, Toronto, 11 Dec 2012, lot 189
Private Collection, Ontario
Exhibited:
"Cinquantenaire de la mort d'Auguste Rodin", Dominion Gallery, Montreal, QC, 1967
Literature:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, 1967 - Cinquantenaire De La Mort D’Auguste Rodin 1840-1917, p. 41, Cat. No. 74, illustrated (this lot, number 4/12)
Note:
This sculpture was exhibited at the Dominion Gallery in Montreal in 1967 during an exhibition of Rodin's works, presented under the umbrella of the Musée Rodin. The foreword of the catalogue was written by Cecile Goldscheider, the Conservator at the Musée Rodin. In 2007 in the most recent catalogue of the artwork kept by the Musée Rodin, a chapter is dedicated to the hands made by Rodin, emphasizing the importance of these works: “ ‘Rodin accumulated these detailed studies; his studio showcases are full of partial studies of torsos and hands. He passionately sought out the expressions of the human hand,’ declared Gustave Kahn. The hand sculptures, which number in the hundreds, were mostly modelled during the 1880s and 1890s, and although the first ones were simple fragments destined for La Porte de l'Enfer, he knew how to give each of them, however small, an extraordinary power, which designated them to become autonomous works in their own right. He was encouraged in this by the ancient fragments he collected, as well as by a long tradition of making the hand almost an individual in its own right - and this long before Caesar isolated a finger to pay homage to the Thumb (1965). [...] These models are difficult to identify, with the exception of La Main crispée, which he very early on gave the status of a work in its own right. [...] As early as 1926, the chairman of the museum's board of directors, Baron Chassériau, suggested that the museum make editions of the hands: "I was thinking," he said, "of the quantity of models of hands of all kinds that are at Meudon and which, reduced to bronze, would certainly be a source of revenue. We'd buy them to make gifts for various ceremonies where we're embarrassed by the choice of an object to offer." Much appreciated by collectors, including Sacha Guitry [...], these casts multiplied especially after the Second World War: thirty-nine of them were issued in series, the hands numbered 1 to 22 from May 1948, then the others little by little, the last series (“Main n° 39”) being cast between 1974 and 1977.” (1)
(1) Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, Rodin et le bronze: catalogue des œuvres conservées au Musée Rodin, Réunion des musées nationaux, 2007, p.501
Estimate: $10,000—15,000
ÉTUDE DE MAIN GAUCHE, HAND NO. 38, CONCEIVED CA. 1885-1900; THIS BRONZE VERSION CAST BETWEEN CA. 1970-1980
bronze with brown patina
signed "A. Rodin" lower right recto and with the foundry mark ".G. Rudier. Fondeur Paris" lower right verso; 12 casts of this sculpture were produced, this being number 4/12 according to the provenance.
3.63 x 1.75 x 1.63 in — 9.2 x 4.4 x 4.1 cm
Provenance:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, QC
Private Collection, Ontario, purchased from the above in 1967 at the exhibition, "1967 - Cinquantenaire de la mort d'Auguste Rodin 1840-1917"
Waddington's, Toronto, 11 Dec 2012, lot 189
Private Collection, Ontario
Exhibited:
"Cinquantenaire de la mort d'Auguste Rodin", Dominion Gallery, Montreal, QC, 1967
Literature:
Dominion Gallery, Montreal, 1967 - Cinquantenaire De La Mort D’Auguste Rodin 1840-1917, p. 41, Cat. No. 74, illustrated (this lot, number 4/12)
Note:
This sculpture was exhibited at the Dominion Gallery in Montreal in 1967 during an exhibition of Rodin's works, presented under the umbrella of the Musée Rodin. The foreword of the catalogue was written by Cecile Goldscheider, the Conservator at the Musée Rodin. In 2007 in the most recent catalogue of the artwork kept by the Musée Rodin, a chapter is dedicated to the hands made by Rodin, emphasizing the importance of these works: “ ‘Rodin accumulated these detailed studies; his studio showcases are full of partial studies of torsos and hands. He passionately sought out the expressions of the human hand,’ declared Gustave Kahn. The hand sculptures, which number in the hundreds, were mostly modelled during the 1880s and 1890s, and although the first ones were simple fragments destined for La Porte de l'Enfer, he knew how to give each of them, however small, an extraordinary power, which designated them to become autonomous works in their own right. He was encouraged in this by the ancient fragments he collected, as well as by a long tradition of making the hand almost an individual in its own right - and this long before Caesar isolated a finger to pay homage to the Thumb (1965). [...] These models are difficult to identify, with the exception of La Main crispée, which he very early on gave the status of a work in its own right. [...] As early as 1926, the chairman of the museum's board of directors, Baron Chassériau, suggested that the museum make editions of the hands: "I was thinking," he said, "of the quantity of models of hands of all kinds that are at Meudon and which, reduced to bronze, would certainly be a source of revenue. We'd buy them to make gifts for various ceremonies where we're embarrassed by the choice of an object to offer." Much appreciated by collectors, including Sacha Guitry [...], these casts multiplied especially after the Second World War: thirty-nine of them were issued in series, the hands numbered 1 to 22 from May 1948, then the others little by little, the last series (“Main n° 39”) being cast between 1974 and 1977.” (1)
(1) Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, Rodin et le bronze: catalogue des œuvres conservées au Musée Rodin, Réunion des musées nationaux, 2007, p.501
Estimate: $10,000—15,000
Modern, Post-War & Contemporary Art
Ends from
Venue Address
For Waddington's delivery information please telephone +1 4165049100.
Important Information
Bidding for this sale will take place entirely online on Waddingtons Online Auction Platform
Waddington’s charges a buyer’s premium of 23% on the hammer price up to and including $25,000 CAD. Hammer prices in excess of $25,000 CAD will be charged a buyer’s premium of 20%. Payment for purchases is accepted in Canadian dollars by cash, certified cheque drawn on a Canadian bank, travelers cheque, bank draft or transfer, Visa or Mastercard within 10 days from the date of the sale.
Terms & Conditions
Terms and conditions:
1. All lots are sold “AS IS”. Any description issued by the auctioneer of an article to be sold is subject to variation to be posted or announced verbally in the auction room prior to the time of sale. While the auctioneer has endeavoured not to mislead in the description issued, and the utmost care is taken to ensure the correct cataloguing of each item, such descriptions are purely statements of opinion and are not intended to constitute a representation to the prospective purchasers and no warranty of the correctness of such description is made. An opportunity for inspection of each article is offered prior to the time of sale. No sale will be set aside on account of lack of correspondence of the article with its description or its reproduction, if any, whether colour or black & white. Some lots are of an age and/or nature which preclude their being in pristine condition and some catalogue descriptions make reference to damage and/or restoration. The lack of such a reference does not imply that a lot is free from defects nor does any reference to certain defects imply the absence of others. Frames on artwork are not included as part of purchase or condition. It is the responsibility of prospective purchasers to inspect or have inspected each lot upon which they wish to bid, relying upon their own advisers, and to bid accordingly.
2. Each lot sold is subject to a premium as part of the purchase price as per below:
Live and Online Auctions
(excluding Canadian Fine Art, Inuit Art, The Art of Canada and Fine Wine & Spirits Auctions)