- 160
Alexander Archipenko
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- Alexander Archipenko
- Torse de femme
- Inscribed Archipenko and dated © 1948
- Painted terracotta
- Height: 24 in.
- 61 cm
Provenance
Private Collection, New Mexico (acquired by the early 1990s and sold: Sotheby's, London, June 20, 2007, lot 475)
Acquired at the above sale
Acquired at the above sale
Literature
Annette Barth, Alexander Archipenkos Plastisches Oeuvre, vol. II, Frankfurt am Main, 1997, no. 284, illustration of another cast p. 478
Condition
Black painted terracotta. Two tiny spots of paint loss, one in the figuer's right thigh and the other on the chest at figure's left. A few very minor surface scratches near the figure's lower back and upper buttocks, otherwise fine. 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.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
In Archipenko’s meditations on his career and evolving artistic style, he classified Torso de femme as a work that definitively exemplified his unique use of sculptural line. He reminisced, “There is a lyrical line in my style which may be compared to the long sound of one string on a certain Japanese instrument, called a suma-koto. Such a line is totally different from the nervous zigzag of Peruvian textile designs which are comparable to jazz music.
“In the work of art it is knowledge and feeling that determine the choice and the effect of line, if not directly, then through association. In sculpture very often the psychological and esthetic attraction arises from the outline where the shape of the space begins and matter is disregarded. In some cases, the opposite happens: psychological attraction is concentrated on the volume of the material surrounded by the outline and space is disregarded” (Alexander Archipenko, Archipenko, Fifty Creative Years, 1908-1958, New York, 1960, p. 61).
“In the work of art it is knowledge and feeling that determine the choice and the effect of line, if not directly, then through association. In sculpture very often the psychological and esthetic attraction arises from the outline where the shape of the space begins and matter is disregarded. In some cases, the opposite happens: psychological attraction is concentrated on the volume of the material surrounded by the outline and space is disregarded” (Alexander Archipenko, Archipenko, Fifty Creative Years, 1908-1958, New York, 1960, p. 61).