Jan and Joël Martel

Atelier Martel, Paris
Felix Marcilhac, Paris

Cinquantaire de L'Exposition de 1925, Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, October 15, 1976-February 2, 1977
Léger et L'esprit Moderne, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, March 17-June 6, 1982
The 1920s:  Age of the Metropolis, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, June 20-November 10, 1991
Art Deco 1910-1939, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, March 27-July 20, 2003;  Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, September 20, 2003-January 4, 2004;  California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, March 6-July 4, 2004;  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, August 22, 2004-January 9, 2005

"Deuxième Exposition de l'Union," Art et Décoration, July 1931, p. 32 (for a nearly idendical model)
Jan et Jöel Martel:  Sculpteurs 1896-1966, Paris, 1996, pp. 98, and 183-184 (for a nearly identical model)

Generally in very good overall condition. Some fine oxidization, fingerprints and pitting scattered over the surface of the locomotive as expected from age. The lacquered base has some corner and edge chips, some of which are visible in the catalogue illustration. A fine example of this rare model.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The sculptors Jan and Joël Martel were twins and spent their entire lives living and working together.  They were close friends with the celebrated architect Robert Mallet-Stevens and executed many of the scultural reliefs for his structures, including the Pavilion de Tourisme at the 1925 Exposition Universelle in Paris.  The fair also included their fantastical cubist trees sculpted out of concrete which embodied their dual interests in nature and the avant-garde.  The Martels were founding members of the UAM, the modernist group of artists and designers that held annual exhibitions. 

The model Locomotive en Marche debuted at the second UAM exhibition held in 1931.  The form itself was greatly inspired by the Futurist paintings the brothers previously encountered at the Lenningrad Decorative Institute.  Futurists saw the world imbued with speed and industrial transformation. Technology and modernity were governing principles of this artistic movement, which sought to triumph over the past and conservatism.  The Locomotive conveys a sense of urgency and is a celebration of the advanced modes of transportation that were more rapidly connecting the capital cities of the world and facilitating the exchange of modern ideas. 

Sotheby's would like to thank Florence Langer Martel for her assistance in the cataloguing of this lot.