Lot 26
Alfred Boucher(French, 1850-1934)Au but 17 x 28in (43 x 71cm) on a 2 1/4in (6.5cm) black marble base
8 July 2020, 13:00 EDT
New YorkUS$5,000 - US$7,000
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Alfred Boucher (French, 1850-1934)
Au but
signed 'A. BOUCHER' in the maquette and impressed with Siot Decauville foundry seal; numbered 145L
bronze with dark brown patina
17 x 28in (43 x 71cm) on a 2 1/4in (6.5cm) black marble base
signed 'A. BOUCHER' in the maquette and impressed with Siot Decauville foundry seal; numbered 145L
bronze with dark brown patina
17 x 28in (43 x 71cm) on a 2 1/4in (6.5cm) black marble base
Footnotes
Alfred Boucher was a successful and influential sculptor during his lifetime. A mentor to Camille Claudel and a friend to Auguste Rodin, he was the connecting link between these two titans of French sculpture and their resulting tumultuous romance.
Au but was first exhibited at the Salon of 1886 where it won a first class medal and general acclaim. The state commissioned a life-size version, which Boucher exhibited at the 1887 Salon before placing it in the Luxembourg Gardens. The work was subsequently destroyed during the German occupation. The popularity of the work can be attributed to the fact that it was completed at a time when German archaeologists discovered Olympia and the thought of the recreation of the Olympic games was conceived. Due to its high popularity, Au but has been cast in various sizes by different foundries, such as Siot-Decauvile, Barbedienne and Susse.