Albert Bartholomé

Overall, the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is wax to the surface, in particular around the woman's head and the surrounding background and shell above. The edge of the basin at the front is very smooth, suggesting it may have been rubbed or possibly repolished. There is veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including to the woman's legs. There is evidence of water staining to the interior of the basin and the interior of the larger shell at the top. There are brown varnish or paint residues to the back of the sculpture on both sides and to the top. The sculpture is partially roughed out at the back. There are faint remnants of rubbed out inscriptions along the top edge of the basin and at the front of the basin, one of which appears to read MDCCCCIIII.
"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."

Albert Bartholomé was an autodidact who focused on painting for much of his early career. After the tragic early death of his wife in 1886, he devoted himself to sculpting. Many of his works exude a peaceful melancholy, which can also be found in his most famous Monument to the Dead at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, finished in 1899. Together with Rodin's Gates of Hell, this has often been seen as one of the greatest expressions of symbolist sculpture. Bartholomé won the Grand Prize for sculpture at the Exposition Universelle in 1900, and continued to have a successful career as a sculptor.

The present marble, La Fontaine, was first modelled in plaster by the sculptor in 1896 (Burollet, op. cit. S. 28/A), intended as a preparatory plaster for a marble to be exhibited at the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts. Bartholomé retained the plaster in his studio, which inspired several later versions in bronze and marble, one of which was recorded as part of his widow's collection in 1928. Another version in marble, dating to 1905, is part of the Imperial Collection in Japan. The present La Fontaine, with its fluid lines and organic structure, presents the opportunity to acquire an impressive marble by the important symbolist sculptor who has been recently 'rediscovered' (see Burollet, op. cit.).

RELATED LITERATURE
P. Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, London, 1994, pp. 52-53; T. Burollet, Bartholomé: La redécouverte d’un grand sculpteur, Paris, 2017, pp. 245-247, no. S.28