Alfredo Pina

Overall condition of the bronze is excellent with some minor wear consistent with age.
"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."

Pina modelled his iconic bust of Beethoven in Montpellier during the First World War and one of the primary casts remains there in the Musée Fabre.  He modelled at least two separate versions of the composer, the other variant doing without the expressive collar which characterises the present bronze. Smaller casts were produced in a sizeable edition by the Valsuani and Montagutelli foundries while the larger versions, which appear more rarely, were cast by the Montagutelli and A.G. foundries.

Pina was by no means the first sculptor to have treated the cult of the great composer. Guiseppe Grandi, Max Klinger and Emile-Antoine Bourdelle all produced representations of Beethoven that express his genius in terms of an intense pathos and temperament. What set Pina's bust apart was the Rodinesque play of form in the expressive attitude of the modelling, which deliberately suppresses accuracy of detail for a generalised depiction of inner emotion. Pina's bust of Wagner, while sharper in the definition of form, is treated in a similar manner and with a hallmark emphasis on the rendition of the eyes. In 1920 Pina sent his bust of Beethoven for exhibition at the Venice Biennale which may be identified as the one in the 'museum of Venice' mentioned in de Pawlowski's biography of the artist published in 1929.