Henri Gaudier-Brzeska

Michael Gillespie, and thence by descent to the present owner

Possibly London, Allied Artists' Association, The London Salon: Seventh Year, 12th June - 2nd July 1914, cat. no.1346 (cut brass version);
Bielefeld, Kunsthalle Bielefeld, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska 1891-1915, 1969, cat. no.7, illustrated (another cast);
Treigny, Château de Ratilly, 1977, cat. no.22 (another cast, as Toy);
London, Mercury Gallery, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, 1891 - 1915, 25th September - 26th October 1991, cat. no.9, illustrated (another cast);
Orléans, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, June - September 1993, cat. no.42, illustrated p.119, with tour to Musée d'Art Moderne, Toulouse (another cast);
Paris, Centre Pompidou, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska dans les Collections du Centre Pompidou, Musée National d'Art Modern, 24th June - 14th September 2009, cat. no.63, illustrated, with tour to Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans, Orléans (another cast, as Torpille).

Roger Cole, Burning to Speak: The Life and Art of Henri Gaudier Brzeska, Phaidon, Oxford, 1978, cat. no.63B, illustrated p.117 (another cast);
Evelyn Silber, Gaudier-Brzeska: Life and Art, London, Thames & Hudson, 1996, cat. no.80, p.270 (another cast).

The sculpture appears to be sound. The surface is very slightly pitted in places, in keeping with the Artist's technique and medium. There is some slight rubbing in places. There are some traces of casting residue and surface dirt in the crevices. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in very good overall condition. The work is freestanding. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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."

We are grateful to Roger Cole for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work, which will be included in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist's sculptures, No Stone Unturned. 

Before departing to fight in the First World War, Gaudier-Brzeska recorded the details of his sculptures in his List of Works, which included the entry 'Ornament torpille bronze cisele', which refers to the original cut brass version of the present work (sold to T.E. Hulme), as well as a plaster model of it. Jim Ede commissioned the artist and caster Michael Gillespie to create nine casts of the present work in 1968. The present work would have been the first cast made by Gillespie at this time, aside from the edition of 9. Gillespie was a very talented bronze-caster, working to realise the work of artists including, among others, Elisabeth Frink and Jacob Epstein. Other casts of the present work are in the collections of the Tate, London (number 2/9), and Kettle's Yard, Cambridge.