Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse

Private collection, the Netherlands, acquired in the 1920s

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age, including some dust in the crevices. There is some light veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including a vein to the proper left buttock. There are a few naturally occurring brownish veins or inclusions to the marble, including: to the top of the head, to the proper left side of the neck and chest, to the proper left thigh, to the proper right hip and thigh, to the back of the hair, to the proper left shoulder blade, to the proper left upper arm at the back, and to the legs. There are a few further minor inclusions, including to the proper right shoulder, the proper right hip, the proper right side of the neck, and the abdomen. There are a few very minor areas of abrasion, including to the proper right breast and to the proper left knee. There are a few small chips, including to the earpiece of the helmet on the proper left side and to the edges of the terrasse. The back section of the terrasse and the drapery is carved separately, and a joint with some white fill is slightly visible in areas. The associated wood base is in good condition with dirt and wear, particularly to the top.
"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."

This sensual and ambitious nude representing a captured Amazon is one of only two known marble versions at this size, and particularly rare as being among the few larger-scale figurative marbles produced by Carrier-Belleuse in his extensive career.

Carrier-Belleuse was an innovator. Not only did he pioneer new treatments of traditional themes, and develop original methods and techniques for the production of sculpture in his large studio, but he was one of the first sculptors to organise public sales of his works at auction. These took place mainly at the Hôtel Drouot, but were staged also in Brussels and London. It has been suggested by June Hargrove (op. cit.) that Carrier created the model of the Amazone specifically for his 1868 Drouot sale, whose catalogue lists such a work in marble. Until recently, however, the model was known almost exclusively in bronze and terracotta. The present marble's fresh entry to the market follows the recent sale of another previously unknown marble version (Christie's London, 30 September 2015, lot 260) of approximately the same dimensions. However while the version at Christie's was merely signed A. CARRIER, the present marble is, in addition, dated to 1866, making this a significant rediscovery. The dating suggests not only that the model was completed at least two years prior to the 1868 Drouot sale, but that this is likely to be the first marble version of the Amazone captive that was executed by Carrier and his studio.

By representing an Amazon, one of the legendary female warriors from antiquity, as helpless and unclothed, chained to a tree and surrounded by what seem to be the remnants of her armour, Carrier-Belleuse arguably breaks new iconographic ground. Amazons are typically shown on horseback in battle, whereas artistic interpretations of the most famous representative of their kind, Penthesilea, tend to focus on her relationship with Achilles, as told in post-Homeric myth. Carrier's composition instead relates to representations of the mythological heroine Andromeda, who was chained to a rock and saved by Perseus from being eaten by a sea monster. The woman’s voluptuous nudity and her vulnerable, imploring, gaze form a stark contrast to the Amazons’ reputation as fierce fighters, lending a titillating eroticism to the composition. As Hargrove has noted, in this model Carrier 'transformed his eclectic sources into a thoroughly nineteenth-century configuration.' Hargrove further comments that the Amazone's pose may have been derived from Augustin Pajou’s Psyche of 1790, but that Carrier-Belleuse 'added a mannered lushness to Pajou’s idea.' The contorted arrangement of the Amazone’s body and the abundant braid of hair that falls onto her shoulder epitomise the luxuriance of Belle-Époque sensuality.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Hargrove, The Life and Work of Albert Carrier-Belleuse, New York/London, 1977, p. 233; J. Hargrove and G. Grandjean, Carrier-Belleuse: Le maître de Rodin, exh. cat., Palais de Compiègne, Paris, 2014