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SLADMORE
24 PRINCE PAUL TROUBETZKOY Russian, 1866–1938
25 ROBERT WLERICK French, 1882–1944
Horse and Jockey 1933 16 x 17 x 7 in; 41 x 42 x 18 cm
Lulu Lapalue, Nude Torso 1931 30 x 11 x 9 in; 77 x 28 x 23 cm
A fine quality early twentieth century bronze model of a Horse and Jockey.This bronze was cast by the lost wax process in Milan in 1933. Before casting it was signed and dated in the wax: ‘Paulo Troubetzkoy’, ‘1933’. It has a medium brown patina with darker brown undertones.
A rare, fine quality early twentieth century bronze model of a nude torso entitled Lulu Lapalue. This bronze was cast by the lost wax process at the Claude Valsuani foundry in Paris during the sculptor’s lifetime. Before casting it was signed, numbered and stamped in the wax: ‘R. Wlerick’, ‘7/8’, ‘C. Valsuani Cire Perdue’. It has an inky black patina.
Provenance: Senator Mario Crespi, Milan, 1933. This is a rare model of a relatively unusual subject for the artist. Whilst his portraiture oeuvre includes some important equestrian portraits, the racing theme is perhaps uniquely represented by this fine model. It is a double portrait of the champion racehorse Crapom and his famous jockey Paolo Caprioli, commissioned to mark their string of victories in 1933, which included the Milan Grand Prix, the Ostend Grand International and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Paris. Crapom, a three-year-old at the time, was out of Cranach and Pompea, hence his unusual name. There is a number ‘1’ modelled on to the saddle cloth on the jockey’s right–hand side. The impasto finish to this bronze is a familiar feature of Troubetzkoy’s sculpting style, and adds to the sense of movement so well captured in the composition. Senator Crespi also owned the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera (‘Evening Courier’), and a further portrait exists of his wife with her dog, which Troubetzkoy completed in 1925.
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Provenance: Private collection, France. Lulu Lapalue was a professional model. Wlérick’s first version of this work was 44 cm tall and included the head. He then worked on a larger version, removing the head and simplifiying the figure. The presentation of a ‘fragmentary’ figure, without head or limbs, has its origins in Rodin’s work and became popular among French sculptors of the inter-war period. The focus on the torso allowed the artist to concentrate on sculptural qualities, rather than follow the traditional ‘expressive’ or ‘narrative’ line. This bronze was cast from Wlérick’s working plaster, and he was so pleased with the work that he made a version in marble – something he very rarely did. Gérard Wlérick, the artist’s son, has confirmed that it is a lifetime cast. Wlérick was known for working in detail on each bronze cast, paying great attention to the hammering and chasing of the surface.
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