HENRI MATISSE | Tireur d'épine

Pelle Börjesson, Gothenburg
Private Collection, Sweden (sale: Sotheby's, London, 6th May 1959, lot 142)
Private Collection (purchased at the above sale)
Private Collection, London (sale: Sotheby's, London, 19th June 1963, lot 43)
G. Wilkes, London (purchased at the above sale; sale: Sotheby's, London, 4th December 1985, lot 156)
Waddington Galleries, London (purchased at the above sale)
Private Collection, United Kingdom (acquired from the above in the late 1980s; sale: Sotheby's, London, 20th June 2012, lot 186)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Copenhagen, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek; Ottawa, The National Gallery of Canada; Oslo, Kunsternes Hus & Rotterdam, Museum Boymans van Beuningen, Henri Matisse, Skulpturer, Malerier, Farveklip, 1953-54, no. 23, illustrated in the catalogue
Houston, The Museum of Fine Arts, Matisse. Sculptures, Paintings and Drawings, 1955, no. 17
Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery, Local Heritage, 1970, no. 41

Alfred H. Barr, Matisse: His Art and His Public, New York, 1951, n.n., pp. 99 & 100
Henri Matisse, Das plastische Werk (exhibition catalogue), Kunsthaus Zurich, Zurich, 1959, no. 23, illustration of another cast p. 10
Henri Matisse, Sculpture (exhibition catalogue), Waddington Galleries, London, 1969, no. 6, illustration of another cast n.p.
Albert E. Elsen, The Sculpture of Henri Matisse, New York, 1971, n.n., illustrations of another cast pls. 77 & 78
Louis Aragon, Henri Matisse: A Novel, London, 1972, vol. II, illustration of another cast pl. 135
Henri Matisse, Dessins et sculpture (exhibition catalogue), Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris, 1975, no. 185, illustration of another cast p. 201
Jack Flam, Matisse, The Man and His Art, London, 1986, no. 176, illustration of another cast p. 183 
Claude Duthuit & Wanda de Guébriant, Henri Matisse, Catalogue raisonné de l'œuvre sculpté, Paris, 1997, no. 26, present cast listed p. 68, illustration of another cast p. 67
Matisse-Derain, Collioure 1905, un été fauve (exhibition catalogue), Musée Départemental d'Art Moderne, Céret & Musée Départemental Matisse, Cateau-Cambrésis, 2005-2006, no. 168,  illustrations of another cast pp. 44 & 222
Matisse, Painter as Sculptor (exhibition catalogue), The Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas;  San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco & The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, 2007-2008, no. 25, colour illustration of another cast p. 129

Deep bronze patina. There is some minor patina rubbing along the base and there are some tiny scratches in places, consistent with age and handling. This work is in overall very good condition.
"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."

Conceived circa 1906, Tireur d'Épine is inspired by a Roman bronze dating to the second century B.C., Spinario, depicting a boy bent over his foot to extract a thorn, currently in the Musei Capitolini, Rome. Tireur d'Épine represents one of Matisse's rare male figures and the marble version appears in a 1911 still life painting by the artist, Nature morte aux aubergines, currently in the Musée de Peinture et de Sculpture, Grenoble.