Henri Plé

Overall the condition of the marble is very good, with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is a minor restoration to the tip of the proper right toe. There is some light veining to the marble, consistent with the material, including to the proper right arm and proper right thigh. There are a few naturally occurring inclusions which have been filled, notably to the proper left breast, the proper left arm, and the proper right hip. There are a few slight dirt marks.
"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."

A Parisian by birth, Henri-Honoré Plé is known for his eclecticism and range of artistic talents. Practicing as both a painter and a sculptor, he works usually exhibit proud and powerful masculine figures, largely concerning history and mythology. His appreciation for the latter most likely derives from his instruction under Gérault and especially Mathurin Moreau, whose combination of a passion of the antique and a personal flair for invention seep their way into Plé’s œuvre.

Indeed Plé’s Echo would not be out of place among Moreau’s collection of nubile nymphs; both artists share in their sculptures a love for the tradition, canonised by Carrier-Belleuse, of virtuoso draperies and vibrant females.  Although Plé’s figure of Echo is largely indebted to Alexandre Cabanel’s fantastical depiction of the same subject in 1874, the sculptor abandons the intense shock of the painted Echo in favour of an expression exuding warmth and serenity, exhibiting a wistfulness that anticipates the tragedy that would later afflict her.

Plé’s Echo des Bois fits into a diverse oeuvre of an artist who enjoyed a respectable status among artists in terms of success and popularity during the late nineteenth century. The welcoming reception his works received in his early years following his debut in the Paris Salon in 1877 rendered him a proficient upstart to his contemporaries. His honourable mention in 1879 was followed by a third class medal in 1880. His career seems to plateau in the late 1890s, the period which saw his creation of Echo in 1896, which ranks among Plé’s most beautiful and important marbles. Two years later he was awarded the second class medal at the Salon, and in 1900 was deemed deserving of a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle.

The mythological narrative of Echo originates from Ovidian poetry, and is the Oread – a nymph residing in the mountains of Cithaeron – integral to the story of Narcissus, whose self-absorption and obsession with himself eventually led to his death. Echo’s role in the myth is as a victim of desperate tragedy; her intense love for Narcissus was not only unrequited, but she was never able to express to him the immensity of her affection.

After Echo had intentionally prevented the jealous Hera from finding out about her husband Zeus’ many affairs, having distracted her with extensive conversations, Hera subsequently cursed her with reticence, being able to utter only the last words spoken by others. Upon finding the young Narcissus, lost whilst hunting in the woods some time later, yelled out to his companions: “is anyone there?” Echo, enchanted by the beautiful Narcissus on whom she had been spying, repeated back to him. “Let’s come together,” he followed, to which she responded the same. When she rushed to Narcissus, desperate to embrace him, he rejected her empassioned but muted advances, and she fled in shame and misery. On Narcissus’ death after decaying as he gazed at his own reflection, Echo still mourned after him despite his self-infatuation, and slowly wasted away herself, her voice remaining an eternal memento.

RELATED LITERATURE

M. Forrest, Art Bronzes, Pennsylvania, 1988, p.481; P. Kjellberg, Bronzes of the 19th Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Pennsylvania, 1994, pp.548-9; E. Benezit, Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, Paris, 1999, p.59