Paul Manship

Sarah F. Henderson, New Orleans, Louisiana
Sylvester W. Labrot, Jr. (her brother), Hope Sound, Florida, 1944
Andrew G. Labrot (his son), Savannah, Georgia, 1958
By descent to the present owner, 2008

Savannah, Georgia, Telfair Museums, circa 1980s (on loan)

Edwin Murtha, Paul Manship, New York, 1957, pp. 14, 18, 161-62
John Manship, Paul Manship, New York, 1989, pp. 101, 111, 113, 133, illustration of another example pl. 92, p. 100
Harry Rand, Paul Manship, Washington, D.C., 1989, pp. 73-83

This work was recently cleaned and waxed. The patina is greenish brown and the surface retains some traces of gilt, specifically at the nose of the hound, within the top of the quiver and the drapery of Diana at the reverse. There are numerous chips and losses to the edges of the original marble base. The upper portion of the bow was recently repaired above the figure's hand.
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.

Diana, also known in Greek mythology as Artemis, is the ancient woodland deity of hunting and archery, and the defense of wild animals and children. In at least one version of the myth, Diana, who was known to be chaste, was offended when Actaeon happened upon her naked and bathing in the woods. In order to prevent Actaeon from speaking of what he saw, Diana turned him into a stag and he was later chased down and devoured by his own hounds who did not recognize him in his new form.  

According to historian Harry Rand, “Manship contemplated the story of Diana and Actaeon as early as 1915, while living in Cornish, New Hampshire; he began to sketch this theme, which engaged him for a decade thereafter” (Paul Manship, Washington, D.C., 1989, p. 73). It was not until 1921 though that the artist cast his first bronze edition of the subject, of which the present work is an example. Edwin Murtha recalled this edition as “the original and the smallest of three versions that Manship made” (Paul Manship, New York, 1957, p. 161). Intended as a pendent to Actaeon (fig. 1), a model Manship first cast in a smaller edition two years later in 1923 and revisited later in two larger sizes, Diana displays all of the trademarks of Manship’s most popular bronzes and remains a beloved form among collectors of his work. Mr. Rand Notes, “...Diana embodied the best of Manship’s art, the highest aspirations of archaism and contemporary academicism, the promise for a legitimate and potent alternative to modernism, and an unsurpassable performance in bronzework” (Paul Manship, 1989, p. 76).