Henri Laurens

Galerie Louise Leiris, Paris
Galerie Tarica, Paris
O'Hana Gallery, London
Private Collection, London (and sold: Sotheby's, London, March 28, 1984, lot 254)
Galerie Krugier, Geneva (acquired at the above sale)
Mr. & Mrs. Charles H. Oestreich, New York (acquired from the above)
Thence by descent

Werner Hofmann, The Sculptures of Henri Laurens, New York, 1970, no. 126, illustration of another cast p. 126
Henri Laurens, Rétrospective (exhibition catalogue), Musée d'art moderne, Villeneuve d'Ascq, 1992-93, no. 72, illustration of another cast p. 166

The work is in very good condition. Dark brown patina. There are some accretions in the deeper crevices and a few small nicks around the bottom edge of the base, as well as minor surface scratches elsewhere.
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.

Petite cariatide relates to the innovative sculpture of both Picasso and Matisse in its dramatic and refined simplification of the human form. Laurens simultaneously and powerfully resurrects some of the formal concerns that had dominated Cubism during its first decade of existence. Werner Hofmann considers that with the Cariatide, "Laurens decided on an archaic regression. Without, perhaps, much consideration, he reverted to the taut, rough masses characteristic of Proto-Cubism around 1907... Picasso carved a coarse hybrid caryatid from a tree trunk. Among the works of the period of Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are female figures with their arms bent stiffly over their heads. At the same time, with the Caryatid...Laurens made up for a formal stage he had omitted during his formal beginnings, which had been strongly influenced by Synthetic Cubism… He did this without sacrificing his pure craftsmanship… Perhaps he recognized that his extensive productivity of the 1920s had lured him into a smooth, formal grade...I am reminded of the third phase in the creation of The Back, Matisse’s great 'work in progress'...we can only say about the relationship between Matisse and Laurens that at about the same time both men coarsened their sculptural idiom and turned toward the archaic" (Werner Hofmann, The Sculpture of Henri Laurens, New York, 1970, p. 17).