Edgar Degas

Albino Palazzolo, Paris
Yvon Palazzolo, Chiavari, Italy
Sale: Guy Loudmer, Paris, March 25, 1990, lot 4
Acquired at the above sale

Charles W. Millard, The Sculptures of Edgar Degas, Princeton, 1976, no. 47, illustrated n.p.
John Rewald, Degas Complete Sculpture, Catalogue Raisonne, San Francisco, 1990, no. XXII, illustration of another cast pp. 82-83
Anne Pingeot & Frank Horvat, Degas Sculptures, Paris, 1991, no. 24, illustration of another cast p. 164
Apollo, London, August 1995, illustration of another cast p. 30
Joseph Czestochowski & Anne Pingeot, Degas Sculptures: Catalogue raisonné of the Bronzes, Memphis, 2002-03, no. 41, illustration of another cast pp. 200-01

Dark brown patina. There is minor surface accretion in the crevices at the back of the figure's neck, near the thighs, and around the base. There is very minor patina rubbing on the figure's nose and left elbow. Otherwise fine, the 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.
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.

Throughout his career, Degas constantly experimented with rendering the form of the dancer in various poses. By and large, the three-dimensional medium of sculpture offered him the most possibilities for capturing the grace and beauty of these figures and for exploring the seemingly boundless flexibility of their bodies.

Enlivened by the play of light over its irregular surface, the present bronze cast registers the successive layers of wax applied by the artist. Unlike academic sculptures of the period with their smooth lifeless finishes, the record of Degas' touch animates the sculpture and suggests the vitality of the creative act. As he stated, "It was for my own satisfaction that I modeled horses and people in wax, not to abandon painting and drawing, but to give my paintings and drawings more expression, more ardor, and more life" (quoted in R. Pickvance, Degas Sculptor (exhibition catalogue), Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 1991, p. 14). Degas often began his ballet compositions with dancers posed nude and argued that he needed to model his dancers in three dimensions as "in a drawing alone one only had a silhouette without body, without the effect of mass, without volumes" (ibid., p. 14).

The seamless translation of wax to bronze and sumptuous patination can be credited to Albino Palazzolo, the Milanese master of the Hébrard foundry and original owner of the present cast (see fig. 1). Palazzolo was responsible for stabilizing Degas' wax models and overseeing the entire casting process, and is credited with ensuring that the original wax models survive today. Casts marked AP were reserved for Palazzolo's personal collection, and can therefore be assumed to be among the finest examples.

Fig. 1: Albino Palazzolo at work with on of Degas' original wax models (see lot 166) in the 1950s, originally published in Dance Magazine, January 1956, formerly Ludwig Charell Collection