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Robert Wlérick
La Source (The Stream)

1920

$48,000
£36,768.23
€42,845.14
CA$68,959.57
A$68,967.50
CHF 40,231.51
MX$848,571.59
NOK 463,358.57
SEK 482,558.13
DKK 320,285.70

About the Item

A superb smaller version of a large scale commission work that stands in Bordeaux at the Hotel Fruges! Lovely patina - a lighter but rich and warm brown tone that is rare to see in a bronze along with a textured surface that lends it modernity and liveliness. Great for a table as its not more than about 18 pounds. Cast by a fine foundry that Rodin used for a period of time also. Signed and dated: R. Wlérick 1920; with a dedication inscription: A Tony 1923; and stamped MONTAGUETELLI Fres PARIS CIRE PERDUE 28 ½ (H) x 7 ½ (W) x 7 ½ (D) inches Provenance: Private Collection, London Related Literature: Robert Wlérick (1882-1944), ex cat. Musée Rodin, Paris, 1982, no. 18, p.24. This rare lifetime bronze La Source (The Stream) by Wlérick was modeled as a design for a fountain for the Hotel Frugès in Bordeaux. The design was cast in this size in a limited edition of ten bronzes. A marble version is also known. In the 1920’s, Wlérick returned to the subject to make larger versions in bronze and marble Robert Wlérick was born in Mont-de-Marsan and studied sculpture at the Toulouse Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1899-1904. He moved to Paris in 1906, where he met Guillaume Apollinaire, who spoke highly of his “great talent.” Here, he met and joined the bande à Schnegg, a group of sculptors led by Lucien Schnegg. He befriended the sculptor Charles Despiau, with whose work Wlérick’s oeuvre is exhibited today. Wlérick went on hiatus to serve in the First World War, acting as a trauma surgeon to repair the ‘broken faces’ of those wounded in battle. In 1923, along with Despiau, he participated in the first annual Salon des Tuileries The figures that most established Wlérick’s reputation were The bather with a turban (1919), The seated bather (1921), Hellenistic calm (1928), Meditation (1928-1929) and the Tribute to Baudelaire (1942-1943). His major commissions include Pomona, Zeus and The Offering, set in the Palais de Chaillot for the 1937 Universal Exhibition. He was commissioned by the French state for numerous war monuments, such as his tributes to Marshall Foch in Paris and Condorcet in Ribement. Wlérick’s work is known for its refined aesthetic, calm and moderate in expression and generally free of superfluous decoration. He was given the Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur in 1926. Exhibitions: Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (1909-1923) 1st Salon des Tuileries (1923) Universal Exhibition (1937) Architectural Artists’ Salon Fall Salon (1925) Paquereau Gallery (1929) Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (retrospective, 1960s) Musée Rodin (1982) Paris Museum (1994) Musée Bourdelle, Paris (1994) Museums and Public Collections: Despiau-Wlérick Museum Museum Mont-de-Marsan Coubertin Foundation
  • Creator:
    Robert Wlérick (1882 - 1944)
  • Creation Year:
    1920
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Width: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)Depth: 7.5 in (19.05 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    There is a slight crack around one foot but it is stable and fine. Otherwise great condition.
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1413214421472

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