Alfredo Pina

the bronze plaque inscribed: TORSE D'ADOLESCENT / ETUDE / PAR A . PINA

Overall the condition of the marble is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. The marble is intentionally fragmentary in composition. There are a few small chips and abrasions on the polished surface, in particular to the proper left side of the sternum and to the proper left knee. There is general wear to the polished surface, including rubbing, including to the pectorals, abdomen, the shoulders, the upper back and the proper left hip. There are also various small scratches to the polished surface. There is very minor naturally occurring veining to the marble, including a very slight vein running from the proper left buttock round the proper left leg to the groin. There is some dirt to the crevices. There are some green residues at the proper right stump. There are some flecks of orange colour to the pendant and to the proper left shoulder. There are some scratches to the polished base of the sculpture, and some small losses and abrasions around the edges. The roughly hewn areas are in good condition, with minor wear; it is possible that there could be some chips and losses here, though these are difficult to identify, due to the style of the sculpture. There is a cavity to the back left corner. There is wear to the bronze plaque.
"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."

If John Tweed may be regarded as the 'English Rodin', then Alfredo Pina is certainly the 'Italian Rodin'. La danse was first exhibited at Pina's Salon debut in Paris in 1912. A work imbued with the influence of Rodin's powerful sense of fluid form, La danse has been seen as a prime example of Pina's search for a harmony of form and movement. The work offered Pina matchless opportunities to explore the human body in precise action similar to those that inspired Edgar Degas' sculptural and pictorial studies of dancers. The present marble appears to be a study for the final Salon version, which was a full figure statue. However, given the success of the model, it is possible that the present marble was carved as a variant, subsequent to the Salon exhibition, with the focus shifted to the tort musculature of the torso. Indeed, the roughly hewn marble base, and the way in which the beautifully polished figure emerges from it, strongly recalls the Dying Slave by Michelangelo, Pina's other great influence.

RELATED LITERATURE
G. de Pawlowski, Alfredo Pina, Paris, 1929