Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) - Lot 27

Aristide Maillol (1861-1944) Young Girl standing 1905 Bronze proof with brown-black patina Florentin Godard sand casting, without founder's mark Monogrammed on the base at the back 28 x 6.6 x 6.3 cm Provenance : Germany, private collection A certificate from Ursel Berger will be provided on request. We would like to thank Mr. Lorquin for confirming that this bronze was probably sand-cast by Florentin Godard. The contract between Maillol and Vollard mentions a "statuette de Jeune Fille debout (à 4 exemplaires)", a particularly rare model. Related literature: Berger, Ursel, Lebon, Élisabeth, Maillol (re)découvert, Gourcuff Gradenigo, galerie Malaquais Figurative Arts Ltd, Paris, 2021. (Cat. no. 15, p. 100). In 1902, Ambroise Vollard organized Maillol's first monographic exhibition in his gallery. Buoyed by the success of this first exhibition, Vollard signed a contract with Maillol to publish 10 of his sculptures. A second contract followed in 1905 for 7 more. From 1907, on Maillol's recommendation, Vollard entrusted the production of the bronzes to the Florentin Godard foundryman, who became Vollard's exclusive foundryman from 1909, for whom he also cast works by Bonnard and Guino-Renoir. When, in 1909, collector Ivan Morozov commissioned Maillol to cast four large statues (Flore, Pomone, Le Printemps et l'Été) for his music salon, it was quite naturally Florentin Godard who was asked to cast them. The quality of his work soon attracted Laurens, Poupelet, Brancusi, Pompon, Picasso and art dealer Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler.