Joseph Bernard

Overall the condition of the bronze is good. The surface is somewhat dry and is speckled with very subtle greening. The piece would benefit from a professional clean. There is a visible original casting plug to her proper right ankle.
"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."

Joseph Bernard began his studies in Lyons and received a scholarship in 1886 which enabled him to travel to Paris to attend the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Whilst reference is often made to Auguste Rodin's influence, Bernard never worked in his studio, preferring to work nights at a printing press to finance the early lean years of his career. His fierce independence is reflected in his oeuvre, as he experimented with unconventional techniques such as carving in taille directe and modelling directly in plaster rather than clay. Towards the end of his career, Bernard's own influence on French sculpture had become immense. As one critic of the 1927 Salon d'Automne wrote: 'if all sculptures influenced by Bernard were removed from the galleries, what would there be left?'

The first sketches for the Femme à la cruche, also known as Porteuse d'eau, date to 1905-7. In 1908 the model was part of an important group of works by Bernard to be included in a contract with the foundry A. A. Hébrard. The life-size version now in the Musée d'Orsay was cast by Hébrard in 1912 and purchased by the French state in 1917. The model was exhibited at the Salon d'automne in 1912. The piece toured in the United States between 1913 and 1915 featuring in exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Boston and San Francisco.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Chevillot, Oublier Rodin: La sculpture à Paris 1905-1914, ex. cat. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, 2009, cat. 56, p. 274; E. Lebon, Dictionaire des fondeurs de bronze d'art, Perth, 2003, p. 186