Auguste Rodin

Musée Rodin, Paris
Private Collection, Duisburg (acquired from the above in June 1954)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Georges Grappe, Catalogue du Musée Rodin, Paris, 1927, nos. 175-176, illustration of the plaster
Ionel Jianou & Cécile Goldscheider, Auguste Rodin, Paris, 1967, illustration of the marble pl. 27, p. 92
Athena Tacha Spear, Rodin Sculpture in the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 1967, no. XIII, pl. 76-79, illustration of another cast and the marble versions pp. 60-61
Rodin: Sculpture and Drawings (exhibition catalogue), The Hayward Gallery, London, 1970, no. 30, illustration of the plaster p. 42
John L. Tancock, The Sculpture of Auguste Rodin, Philadelphia, 1976, pl. 24b and 24-I, illustrations of other casts pp. 217-218
Rodin en 1900: L'exposition de l'Alma (exhibition catalogue), Musée du Luxembourg, Paris, 2001, no. 24, illustration of another cast p. 107  
Antoinette Le Normand-Romain, The Bronzes of Rodin: Catalogue of Works in The Musée Rodin, Paris, 2007, vol. II, illustration of another cast p. 652

Dark brown patina. Apart from some dirt in the recesses, this work is in very good 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."

Rodin's Néréides, also known as The Song of the Sirens, is a graceful, dynamic group created by the sculptor as both a stand-alone work and as an element to be used in larger bronze compositions – most notably The Gates of Hell. The sinuous femmes fatales are entirely characteristic of Rodin's expressive style, exhibiting an emotional intensity and variety of gesture which is normally so elusive in the bronze medium, particularly in works of a relatively small scale.

The dramatic combination of innocence and sensuality, ecstasy and despair, lends a sense of the Romantic to the composition. This was highlighted in the catalogue of the exhibition in which a cast of this model was first shown: 'ces 'Trois Sirènes,' aux lignes si jeunes et si suaves, aux chants enlacés comme leurs bras, évoquent invinciblement le trio des Filles du Rhin dans l'œuvre de Wagner.' (Exposition de 1900: L'Œuvre de Rodin (exhibition catalogue), Paris, 1900, no. 35, n.p.)

The Wagnerian ideal of the Gesamtkunstwerk, or the 'total work of art', is a parallel for the absolute vision which governed Rodin's artistic conception – one in which the ideological and the aesthetic exist harmoniously. The Gates of Hell, the tour de force of Rodin's entire œuvre, demonstrates this vision most completely, and they include the composition of the Néréides halfway up on the left door panel. The Gates of Hell depict a scene from 'The Inferno', the first section of Dante's Divine Comedy. This narrative context underlines the expressive qualities which are so central to Rodin's work.