Baltasar Lobo

Galería Freites, Caracas
Acquired from the above

Joseph-Émile Muller, Lobo, Catalogue raisonné de l'oeuvre sculpté, Lausanne, 1985, nos. 336 & 337, illustrations of another cast n.p.
Gaston Diehl & Federica Palomero, Baltasar Lobo. La Perennidad de la Escultura: un problema primordial, Caracas, 2005, illustration of another cast p. 99 
Baltasar Lobo. Esculturas monumentales (exhibition catalogue), Place de Zorilla & Paseo de Recoletos, Valladolid, 2007-08, illustration of the monumental version n.p. & on the cover
Baltasar Lobo. Sculptures (exhibition catalogue), Paris, Jardin des Tuileries, Pavillon des arts et du design & Paris, Galerie Hopkins, 2010, illustration in color of another cast n.p. 

This work is in very good condition. The work features a mottled green and golden-green patina with a few spots of darker coloring. A couple minor spots of rubbing are visible to the base. 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.

Femme debout, mains au dos exemplifies Lobo’s lifelong fascination with the feminine form. Born in the small Zamora village of Cerecinos de Campos in 1910, he fled his home country following the Spanish Civil War in 1939. Moving to Montparnasse, he soon formed close friendships with not only Pablo Picasso, but also fellow sculptors Jacques Lipchitz and Henri Laurens. Lobo became particularly close with Laurens, who offered him a job working in his studio and provided him with his own work space. Working alongside Laurens and his reclining nudes, Lobo further discovered his affinity for the female figure, an interest also inspired by the Iberian and Cycladic sculpture that he first encountered on a visit to the Archaeological Museum in Madrid. Lobo parted from Laurens in the 1950s and transitioned toward his signature, elegantly refined style inspired by the work of Constantin Brancusi and Jean Arp. The present work, with its soft curves, abstracted minimal form and extraordinary patina, exemplifies the most desirable qualities of twentieth-century sculpture.