$6,150
Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917) or Camille Claudel (French, 1864-1943) Tête de rieur (Laughing Man) , c. 1891-92 Signed or inscribed "A. Rodin" in the bronze on the left side of the neck, inscribed "·Alexis RUDIER·/Fondeur.Paris." at the base of the back of the neck. Bronze with black patina, height approximately 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm), depth 5 7/8 in. (15.0 cm), width 5 1/8 in. (13.0 cm), on a marble plinth. Condition: Dust and dirt to interstices. Provenance: Private Philadelphia collection, by descent to the current owner. N.B. The authorship of Laughing Man is an interesting puzzle. For close to 100 years, Laughing Man has been attributed to Auguste Rodin. However, the sculpture has been seen in a new light following the research of Dr. Antoinette LeNormand-Romain for the catalogue raisonné of Rodin bronzes at the Musée Rodin in Paris (2007) and for her book Fateful Encounter (2005) that accompanied a traveling exhibition examining the relationship of Rodin and Camille Claudel. LeNormand-Romain wrote that at the time of Rodin's death plasters in his studio were systematically ascribed to him, but in fact several examples confirm that some plasters had been exchanged between the studios of Rodin and Camille Claudel as part of the normal working process, leading to misattribution. Some works probably by Claudel were later signed as Rodin, particularly when bronzes were being cast from plasters to fulfill the large order from Jules Mastbaum for the Rodin Museum in
Auctioneer:
Skinner
Date:
2015-01-23
