The Passion of Collecting Academic Nudes

Join me as we explore my collection of Academic Nudes from the 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Centuries and serendipitous finds in the Museum, Art Auction, and Gallery world......examples from the Golden Age of the European Academie


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Alexis (Alix) Marquet (1875-1939) - Nude Girl With A Rose

Addendum ( 02/14/12): The seller in Germany and I have finally agreed upon a sales price and this nice little bronze will be on its way into my collection tomorrow. I have spoken to John Ward of Masterworks Studio's and he has given me a preliminary estimate on repairs. She will have a nice home here.
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A seller in Germany has recently listed this bronze of a nude girl by Alix Marquet (1875-1939) at what I think is a price too dear considering the condition. I am getting some first hand experience with bronze repair and it can get expensive. The thing I dislike about some of the European eBay sites is the propensity of sellers listing artworks to list an item with scant descriptive information. They list the bare essentials and refer you to the posted photographs for condition. This seller in particular describes those stress cracks in the ankles as "casting breaks." Somehow I really doubt a reputable 19th-20th century casting foundry would let a mistake like that out for public sale. That bronze would have been tossed back into the crucible and melted before it ever made it out the door for sale. I suspect those breaks are from dropping the bronze at an oblique angle, but that's just my observation. She seems to be leaning back against gravity too much when you compare the bronze to the illustration of the original sculpture below. I honestly would buy this bronze regardless of the damage if the listed price was more in line with the condition. Figurative works of young girls are that rare. Alexis Marquet was a listed French sculptor who did some well known monumental works and whose works are in major French museums.
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Here is the original scultpure (below):
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