Giacomo Manzù

Private Collection, Florida (acquired circa 1990)
Private Collection, New York (and sold: Sotheby's, New York, November 3, 2005, lot 351)
Acquired at the above sale

The work is in very good condition. The surface has some small pit marks, and very minor stains. There are a few possible minor repairs to the marble, including to the tassle at the back of the figure and to the upper left of the cardinal's hat. Otherwise fine.
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.

The cardinal became a dominant theme in Manzù's post-war work and was inspired by church dignitaries whom the artist often encountered on the streets in his native Bergamo. When depicting this subject, the Cardinale is always portrayed as a stoic clergyman draped in liturgical vestments and wearing his prominent mitre. The figure resembles an architectural structure in its angularity and rigidity of form, and conveys the imposing presence of this leading member of the Catholic Church. For Manzù, however, these sculptures did not have a deeply religious or mystical significance; it was rather their visual impression, with their impressive garments, which became a major source of inspiration for the artist, much as they had for the seventeenth-century sculptors Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Giuliano Finelli (see fig. 2).  Discussing the Cardinale series, John Rewald wrote, "the first drawings of the subject dated from 1934, the first sculpture from 1938. Between 1949 and 1950 the first large cardinal was created, and this was followed one after another by many more sitting and standing, small, large and even more than life size... In Manzù's hands the cardinals were transformed into compact forceful volumes enlivened by extremely tender modeling and generously draped folds. The massiveness of the volume is stressed by the economy of lines and the simplicity of plastic means" (John Rewald, Giacomo Manzù, Greenwich, 1996, p. 59).  



The Fondazione Giacomo Manzù has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work.