Giacomo Manzù

Private Collection, USA
Sale: Christie's, London, 8th February 2005, lot 397
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Green-brown patina. Apart from some minor surface dirt, this work is in very 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."

The theme of cardinals, inspired by church dignitaries often encountered on the streets of Manzù's native Bergamo, was a dominant subject in the artist's oeuvre. It provided Manzù with a source of endless inspiration and experimentation: whilst some have a volumetric pyramidal shape conveying a sense of earthbound monumentality, the present version represents an elegant, elongated figure pointed to the heavens.

 

Discussing the Cardinale series, John Rewald wrote: 'The first drawing of the subject dated from 1934, the first sculpture from 1938. Between 1949 and 1950 the first large cardinal was created, and this was followed one after another by many more, sitting and standing, small, large and even more than life-size... In Manzù's hands the cardinals were transformed into compact forceful volumes enlivened by extremely tender modelling and generously draped folds. The massiveness of the volume is stressed by the economy of lines and the simplicity of plastic means' (J. Rewald, Giacomo Manzù, Greenwich, 1966, p. 59).