19th & 20th Century Sculpture
19th & 20th Century Sculpture
Property of an Italian Nobleman
Jean Jules Cambos
La Cigale
Lot Closed
December 15, 01:10 PM GMT
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property of an Italian Nobleman
Jean Jules Cambos
French
1828 - 1917
La Cigale
signed and dated: J. Cambos. 1875. and entitled: LA CiGALE
white marble
81cm., 32in.
Sotheby's London, 29 May 2008, lot 80
La cigale, ayant chanté
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue
La cigale et la formi, Jean de la Fontaine (1621 -1695)
The title of the present marble refers to Jean de la Fontaine's fable detailing the adventures of a grasshopper and an ant. The grasshopper passes the summer months singing at his ease whilst the ant builds stores for the winter. When winter sets in the grasshopper turns to the ant for food and shelter, but the ant refuses and leaves him to his fate. Like a number of his contemporaries, such as Carrier-Belleuse, Cambos has transformed the grasshopper of the tale into a beautiful, musical young woman. Summer has past and the girl's scant drapery is blown in the wind whilst she draws herself in against the cold, her lute forgotten, tucked under her arm.
Jean Jules Cambos entered the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1853 and had his Salon début four years later. He enjoyed an illustrious career and was given many prestigious official commissions including works for Versailles and the Académie nationale de musique.
A version of his Cigale is in the Musée Goya in his native town of Castres in south west France.
Tout l'été,
Se trouva fort dépourvue
Quand la bise fut venue
La cigale et la formi, Jean de la Fontaine (1621 -1695)
The title of the present marble refers to Jean de la Fontaine's fable detailing the adventures of a grasshopper and an ant. The grasshopper passes the summer months singing at his ease whilst the ant builds stores for the winter. When winter sets in the grasshopper turns to the ant for food and shelter, but the ant refuses and leaves him to his fate. Like a number of his contemporaries, such as Carrier-Belleuse, Cambos has transformed the grasshopper of the tale into a beautiful, musical young woman. Summer has past and the girl's scant drapery is blown in the wind whilst she draws herself in against the cold, her lute forgotten, tucked under her arm.
Jean Jules Cambos entered the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in 1853 and had his Salon début four years later. He enjoyed an illustrious career and was given many prestigious official commissions including works for Versailles and the Académie nationale de musique.
A version of his Cigale is in the Musée Goya in his native town of Castres in south west France.