‘Chapeau à Frankfurt’: Reflections on Impressionist Sculpture by Sladmore

‘Chapeau à Frankfurt’ Reflections on Impressionist Sculpture

SLADMORE 57 Jermyn Street, St James’s, London tel

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Visiting the exhibition, October 2020

Foreword This exhibition here at the Sladmore is a celebration of the ground-breaking show ‘En Passant – Impressonism in Sculpture’ currently taking place at the Staedel Museum in Frankfurt. Philipp Demandt and his two main curators Eva Mongi-Vollmer and Alexander Eiling have mounted a breathtaking exhibition on ‘Impressionist Sculpture’ through the work of five principal sculptors: Edgar Degas, Medardo Rosso, Auguste Rodin, Paul Troubetzkoy and Rembrandt Bugatti. The exhibition includes over 120 sculptures, related paintings, drawings, prints and photographs and this juxtaposition creates a fascinating dialogue which helps explore this important period in the development of sculpture as the twentieth century beckoned. We were delighted to assist in sourcing a number of exhibits for the Frankfurt Show from our clients to whom we are most grateful for their generosity. It is heartening that museum quality sculptures are still available to the discerning collector and that we can assist in these acquisitions. In addition, we have also loaned some sculptures and these pieces will shortly join our exhibition here in Jermyn Street once the Frankfurt show closes. We look forward to seeing you in the gallery soon. Edward Horswell October 2020

Reflections on Impressionist Sculpture Today, the description of a sculpture as ‘impressionistic’ is both widely used and universally accepted but it took some years after the term was comfortably used in regard to painting for this to be the case. Why was this? There are of course a number of key reasons, not least that at the time of the first Impressionist Exhibition in 1874 it was a major shift away from the hitherto indoctrinations of the Salon schools. Painting had remained on a largely similar approach for the previous 300 years and we were not yet used to a new school or movement every few years – the shift to Impressionism was to pave the way for our ability to process further change more readily. There is no doubt that early discussions around painting’s move towards Impressionism centred around the use of colour, something which was obviously not available for sculptors in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, at least not as radically as for a painter. In fact, in 1900 to be considered an Impressionist painter there were four main criteria – firstly if you had exhibited in one of the eight ‘Impressionist Exhibitions’ held between 1874 and 1886, secondly one’s subjects had to be concerned with modern life, the landscape – preferably painted ‘en plein air’. Thirdly, a rapid technique was called for, in conjunction with a medley of bright colours and a feeling of rapid execution or spontaneity – all in stark contrast to the doctrines of the Salon at that time. Lastly, there were no common ‘principles’ at play amongst its exponents, one was at liberty to be guided by whatever took ones passion.

As there were only 17 sculptures in total shown across the 8 exhibitions, it was thus hard to be considered an Impressionist sculptor by way of inclusion. In addition, landscape was not a subject easily embraced by sculptors and the solid medium of bronze seemed at odds with spontaneity. Over time though, the attributes of Impressionism in painting have been more carefully considered and those of sculpture better understood, resulting in a convergence of the necessary criteria and agreed opinion. Indeed, as Patrick Elliott recently wrote ‘sketchiness of execution, the concern with motifs in motion or the effort to catch a fleeting moment’ are in his opinion important attributes of Impressionist painting which are of course the prime intentions of its sculpture cousin.1 After Rodin had broken with academic style and handling in his mature work, Bugatti and Troubetzkoy’s expressive gestural modelling, along with Degas’s more subtle naturalism all vividly convey for the viewer a spontaneous glimpse of life, albeit all in their own individual ways. Freed from the fetters of convention they accelerated sculpture into the twentieth century and Impressionism in three dimensions had definitely arrived. Today we live in uncertain times, perhaps for different reasons to those affecting people as the new century opened but nonetheless equally unsettling. The Impressionist sculptors with their new approach to recording everyday life embraced these concerns which were reflected in their output, in its honesty, its spontaneity and its truth, all the more poignant today. Indeed, Degas’s most celebrated piece, his ‘Petite Danseuse de quatorze ans’ has long been associated with highlighting the undercurrents of prostitution that were present in the world of ballet in Paris.

Le Voyageur, 1878, Ernest Meissonier, (French, 1815–1891), wax and cloth, height: 19 in (48cm). © RMN-Grand Palais (Musée d’Orsay): pp. 10 (photo, Christian Jean)

Meissonier’s Horseman in the Wind (cat. No. 16) is, whilst not included in the Frankfurt show, undoubtedly an early Impressionist work. Created by a traditional Salon trained painter, his lack of sculptural training allowed him to sculpt a work of spontaneous originality. It is contemporary with Degas’s famous ‘Petite Danseuse de quatorze ans’ which also displayed daringly made use of mixed media, yet at the time, Meissonier was given no credit for technical innovation. In fact Degas himself saw it later at the Galerie Durand-Ruel with Paul Valery who recounted ‘One day, at Durand-Ruel’s, he [Degas] kept me a very long time in front of a statuette by MEISSONIER, a Napoleon on a horse, half an arm’s length in height and he explained to me in detail the beauty, or rather the exactitude he recognized in this small work...’.2 Without doubt Degas admired the powers of observation from life required to achieve that level of naturalism. This lone work of considerable merit by Meissonier serves to highlight how a wide variety of artists rose to the challenges of the time and embraced developments in sculpture. Whilst the excellent Frankfurt exhibition chose to focus on just five sculptors there were many others who could easily have been included, each with their own interpretation of the drive towards impressionism in three dimensions. Fortuitously, parallel developments in modelling clay and bronze casting enabled this new gestural style to be showcased to its best advantage. From Italy to Paris came a number craftsmen adept in the technique of ‘lost wax’ casting which had hitherto not been widely used in France. With its ability to faithfully reproduce every detail and even the sculptor’s own fingerprints a new level of quality was reached, with foundries such as A.A. Hébrard and Claude Valsuani leading the way. The invention of plastilene, a mix

of clay with wax around this time, with its ability to be worked quickly and fluidly without risk of drying out, also enabled sculptors in their search for spontaneity. In this short essay it is not possible to delve too deeply into this major crossroads in sculptural development although the excellent accompanying catalogue to the Frankfurt show more than makes up for this. We hope with our exhibition, a homage to the Staedel’s excellent ground-breaking show, to have further reinforced their survey on Impressionism in Sculpture. With the works returning from Frankfurt and the additional pieces added from our own stock, we have provided a fitting showcase to an important period in the development of sculpture. I would like to thank Eva Mongi-Vollmer, Alexander Eiling, Patrick Elliott and Oliver Wootton for their contributions to the ideas expressed in this essay. Edward Horswell October 2020

1 ‘Capturing the Fleeting Moment. Impressionism and Sculpture’, Patrick Elliott, ‘Rembrandt Bugatti the Sculptor 1884–1916’, Edited by Philipp Demandt and Anke Daemgen for the Nationalgalerie, Berlin. 2 Paul Valéry (French writer, poet, philosopher and essayist, 1871–1945), Pièces sur l’art

Contents 1 | La Maternité, c. 1893, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, (French, 1861–1929) 2 | Herakles the Archer, c.1909, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, (French, 1861–1929) 3 | Cow Lowing, 1901, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 4 | Bull and Cow, 1902, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 5 | Lioness Eating, 1903, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 6 | Family of Goats, 1904, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916 7 | Standing Boy, 1906, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 8 | Percheron Stallion, 1907, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 9 | Ostrich with Head Down, 1909–10, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916) 10 | A collection of sketches for the Monument to the Workers, Jules Dalou (French, 1838–1902) 11 | Cheval faisant une descente de main, 1865–1881, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917) 12 | Danseuse, Grande Arabesque, c. 1885, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917) 13 | Dancer putting on her Stocking, First Study, 1890–1895, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917) 14 | Woman Rubbing her Back with a Sponge, Torso, 1888–1892, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917) 15 | Storm Traveller, 1885, oil on panel, Ernest Meissonier, (French, 1815–1891)

16 | Le Voyageur, 1878, Ernest Meissonier, (French, 1815–1891), bronze 17 | Eternal Spring, Premier Etat, 1884, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 18 | Eternal Spring, c. 1885, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 19 | Bon Genie, c. 1895–1900, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 20 | L’Amour qui Passe, 1885, marble, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 21 | The Kiss, c. 1886, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 22 | Fallen Angels, sketch, c. 1890, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 23 | Jean d’Aire, 1895, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 24 | Jean de Fiennes, 1895, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917) 25 | Anna Pavlova, Seated, 1915, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938) 26 | Auguste Rodin, Plaster, c. 1906, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938) 27 | Countess Tamara de Svirsky, 1910, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866 – 1938 28 | Spanish Dancer, ‘La Argentina’, 1910, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938) 29 | Madame Felix Decori, 1908, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938) 30 | Reclining Nude, c.1900, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938)

La Maternité, c.1893, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, (French, 1861–1929), bronze, height: 20 in (51cm).

Herakles the Archer, Naturalistic Head, c.1909, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, (French, 1861–1929), bronze, height: 24 in (62 cm).

3 Cow Lowing, 1901, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Giudici e Strada Foundry, Milan, cast c. 1904, height: 9 in (23 cm).

4 Bull and Cow, 1902, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, inscribed ‘Pavia’ Giudici e Strada Foundry, Milan, cast c. 1902, height: 11 in (27 cm).

Lioness Eating, 1903, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast by 1925, height: 7 in (17 cm).

Family of Goats, 1904, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Claude Valsuani Foundry, Paris, height: 14 in (34 cm).

Standing Boy, 1906, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast c. 1906–1907, height: 17 in (43 cm).

8 Percheron Stallion, 1907, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast c. 1930, height: 13 in (34 cm).

‘The young impressionist sculptor’s endeavours are worthy of the highest acclaim’ LOUIS VAUXCELLES, GIL BLAS, 3 JULY 1904

Ostrich with Head Down, 1909–10, Rembrandt Bugatti, (Italian, 1884–1916), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast 1932, height: 16 in (41 cm).

10 A collection of Sketches for the Monument to the Workers, Jules Dalou (French, 1838–1902), bronze.

11 Cheval faisant une descente de main, 1865–1881, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast by 1924, height: 7 in (18 cm).

12 Danseuse, Grande Arabesque, c. 1885, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast c. 1921, height: 20 in (50 cm).

‘My sculptures will never have the feel of being finished which is the ultimate end in a sculptor’s workmanship, and after all, since no one will ever see these rough sketches, nobody will dare to talk about them’ EDGAR DEGAS, QUOTED FROM FRANÇOIS THIÉBAULT-SISSON, 1931

13 Dancer putting on her Stocking. First Study, 1890–1895, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917), bronze, Hébrard Foundry, Paris, cast 1921, height: 19 in (47 cm).

14 Woman Rubbing her Back with a Sponge, Torso, 1888–1892, Edgar Degas, (French, 1834–1917), bronze, Height: 17 in (43.7 cm).

15 Storm Traveller, oil on panel, 1885, Ernest Meissonier, (French, 1815–1891), height: 15 in (38 cm).

16 Le Voyageur, c. 1878, 1878, Ernest Meissonier, (French, 1815–1891), bronze, Siot Decauville Foundry, Paris, cast c.1895, height: 19 in (48 cm).

17 Eternal Spring, Premier État, 1884, Auguste Rodin,

(French, 1840–1917), bronze, Griffoul et Lorge foundry, Paris,

cast between 1887 and 1894, height: 25 in (65 cm).

18 Eternal Spring, c. 1885, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), bronze, Barbedienne Foundry, Paris, cast 1901, height: 16 in (40 cm).

Bon Genie, c. 1895–1900, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), bronze, Leon Perzinka Foundry, Paris, cast 1896-1900, height: 9 in (23 cm).

‘Now, the illusion of life is obtained in our art by good modelling and by movement’ AUGUSTE RODIN, 1912

20 L’Amour qui Passe, 1885, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), marble, carved c. 1910, height: 19 in (47 cm).

21 The Kiss, c. 1886, Auguste Rodin,

(French, 1840–1917), bronze,

Barbedienne Foundry, Paris,

cast 1913, height: 10 in (25 cm).

22 Fallen Angels, sketch, c. 1890, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), bronze, Griffoul Foundry, Paris, cast c. 1900, height: 12 in (31 cm).

23 Jean d’Aire, 1895, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), bronze, Alexis Rudier Foundry, Paris, cast between 1910 and 1917, height: 19 in (47cm).

24 Jean de Fiennes, c. 1895, Auguste Rodin, (French, 1840–1917), bronze, cast at the Perzinka Foundry, Paris, c. 1900, height: 18 in (46 cm).

‘His brushwork boldly challenges you by presenting a definite tone for every inch of surface’ ROBERT ALAN STEVENSON, 1893

25 Anna Pavlova, Seated, 1915, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938), bronze, Roman Bronzeworks Foundry, New York, cast 1915, height: 12 in (32 cm).

26 Auguste Rodin, c. 1906, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938), plaster, produced c. 1906, height: 21 in (53 cm).

27 Countess Tamara de Svirsky, 1910, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938), bronze, cast at the Claude Valsuani Foundry, circa 1910, height: 21 in (52 cm).

28 Spanish Dancer, ‘La Argentina’, 1910, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938), bronze, Claude Valsuani Foundry, Paris, cast 1911, height: 22 in (55 cm).

29 Madame Felix Decori, 1908, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy,

(Russian, 1866–1938), bronze, Claude Valsuani Foundry, Paris,

cast 1909, height: 18 in (45 cm).

30 Reclining Nude, c.1900, Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, (Russian, 1866–1938), bronze, cast in Italy c. 1900, height: 4 in (9 cm).

With special thanks to those clients who generously loaned works to Frankfurt and also to this exhibition; to my colleagues at Sladmore – Flo for exhibition design, Sonia for research, Daniel for shipping and Clinton for logistics. Lastly, grateful thanks to Ken for his excellent photography and Chris for his artistic catalogue design.

Photography | Ken Adlard, New Moon Photography Design | Chris Hall, Burlington Magazine

ISBN 978-1-901403-41-1

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