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Lot Essay
This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Liliane Colas.
After a long career sculpting the human figure, Pompon turned his attention to the animals that he observed at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. At the age of sixty-seven at the Salon d'Automne in 1922, he exhibited his finest achievement, a monumental marble Ours blanc, measuring almost five-and-a-half feet tall and over eight feet long. This example is in the permanent collection of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
He then went on to create other examples of the same Ours blanc model in various sizes and materials, such as plaster, marble, bronze, and resin. Having been a student of Rodin, he had mastery of depicting profiles and rendering movement through subtle gestures to achieve the essence of the animal’s power. Smaller versions of the Ours blanc form could more easily be transported and exhibited, which allowed for wider commercial distribution. Pompon was especially fascinated with this particular form and worked fastidiously to get the correct sense of fullness, balance, and spirit in his casts. Pompon carved seven replicas between 1924 and 1926 from soft marble that allowed for ease in experimentation. Only two versions, both of which were special commissions, were executed in hard marble.
This model became widely known and adored at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Ours blanc was a beloved model of his friend Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, who featured it in the salon of the Hôtel d’un Collectionneur. A period photolithograph of the Hôtel’s Grand Salon. shows a modestly sized Ours blanc placed on one of Ruhlmann’s occasional tables in the center of the room. Following this exhibition, a large stone replica was commissioned for the Musée de Luxembourg, the French national museum of modern art at the time. In 1930, a smaller marble version was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Through the multiple iterations of this form, Pompon reworked the model’s center of gravity in the space between the extended paws on the proper left side. This dynamic position requires the viewer to move around the form to fully absorb the motion and stability. The plaster model, which was destined to be translated into marble, showed the paws touching through the forward and backward motion; this was the second reduction, dating from 1923. Only those reductions were supplied to the Sèvres manufactory until 1934 as models for ceramic versions, and a few 1923 casts maintained this precise pacing spread.
Pompon’s technique enabled him to develop his concept from clay to plaster, then from stone to marble. Recognized for his artisanal skill and understanding of his materials, he knew how to select with confidence the block from which his subject could successfully emerge. Through a constant process of evolution, he applied his full range of skills and experience as he worked towards his final form, seeking new solutions through his mastery of carving. He also maintained an awareness of surface reference points that would guide his modeling and affect the play of light across the surfaces. Through a fusion of techniques, a new interpretation of the model emerged from the personal reworking of the plaster by Pompon. The slight translucency of the soft marble matched with the purposeful carved surface marks permit light to reflect against the marble in a way that gives the work a visual depth beyond its surface. The modeling traces are interesting as they relate precisely to the areas that have been modified on each side, notably in the neck, the hind quarters and the paws.
The smaller versions are described as répliques as they all derive from the same model, however each is distinct and therefore unique. Pompon’s experimentation with this form came to a close with a commission that materialized in 1927. In 1928, he modified with a different perspective on his previous reduction: the neck was cut through and extended with a new twist of the head, while the paws were repositioned more explicitly, emphasizing movement through a fluidity of line. The new presence was lighter, less compact, and luminous.
The overall form of Ours blanc is complex and calculated, but it is also important to note the expression. The sharpness and vigilance of the gaze is accentuated by the dark shadow spot at the neck. The focus of Ours blanc is on the viewer or sculptor who is focusing back on the form. There is a calmness in the smile that is defined by the animal’s full, extended lips.
In 1928, the present lot was acquired by Susana Baron Supervielle through Galerie Duchemin, as indicated in Pompon's stock book. Susana (1910-2004) was an Argentine composer who studied musicology in Paris. Later, she founded the first school for electroacoustic music of São Paulo, Brazil, where she lived with her husband Jorge Tresca. According to the catalogue raisonné for the artist, twelve examples of this marble version were executed. Examples of this work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon.
Christie's would like to thank Liliane Colas for her assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.
After a long career sculpting the human figure, Pompon turned his attention to the animals that he observed at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. At the age of sixty-seven at the Salon d'Automne in 1922, he exhibited his finest achievement, a monumental marble Ours blanc, measuring almost five-and-a-half feet tall and over eight feet long. This example is in the permanent collection of the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
He then went on to create other examples of the same Ours blanc model in various sizes and materials, such as plaster, marble, bronze, and resin. Having been a student of Rodin, he had mastery of depicting profiles and rendering movement through subtle gestures to achieve the essence of the animal’s power. Smaller versions of the Ours blanc form could more easily be transported and exhibited, which allowed for wider commercial distribution. Pompon was especially fascinated with this particular form and worked fastidiously to get the correct sense of fullness, balance, and spirit in his casts. Pompon carved seven replicas between 1924 and 1926 from soft marble that allowed for ease in experimentation. Only two versions, both of which were special commissions, were executed in hard marble.
This model became widely known and adored at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. Ours blanc was a beloved model of his friend Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, who featured it in the salon of the Hôtel d’un Collectionneur. A period photolithograph of the Hôtel’s Grand Salon. shows a modestly sized Ours blanc placed on one of Ruhlmann’s occasional tables in the center of the room. Following this exhibition, a large stone replica was commissioned for the Musée de Luxembourg, the French national museum of modern art at the time. In 1930, a smaller marble version was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Through the multiple iterations of this form, Pompon reworked the model’s center of gravity in the space between the extended paws on the proper left side. This dynamic position requires the viewer to move around the form to fully absorb the motion and stability. The plaster model, which was destined to be translated into marble, showed the paws touching through the forward and backward motion; this was the second reduction, dating from 1923. Only those reductions were supplied to the Sèvres manufactory until 1934 as models for ceramic versions, and a few 1923 casts maintained this precise pacing spread.
Pompon’s technique enabled him to develop his concept from clay to plaster, then from stone to marble. Recognized for his artisanal skill and understanding of his materials, he knew how to select with confidence the block from which his subject could successfully emerge. Through a constant process of evolution, he applied his full range of skills and experience as he worked towards his final form, seeking new solutions through his mastery of carving. He also maintained an awareness of surface reference points that would guide his modeling and affect the play of light across the surfaces. Through a fusion of techniques, a new interpretation of the model emerged from the personal reworking of the plaster by Pompon. The slight translucency of the soft marble matched with the purposeful carved surface marks permit light to reflect against the marble in a way that gives the work a visual depth beyond its surface. The modeling traces are interesting as they relate precisely to the areas that have been modified on each side, notably in the neck, the hind quarters and the paws.
The smaller versions are described as répliques as they all derive from the same model, however each is distinct and therefore unique. Pompon’s experimentation with this form came to a close with a commission that materialized in 1927. In 1928, he modified with a different perspective on his previous reduction: the neck was cut through and extended with a new twist of the head, while the paws were repositioned more explicitly, emphasizing movement through a fluidity of line. The new presence was lighter, less compact, and luminous.
The overall form of Ours blanc is complex and calculated, but it is also important to note the expression. The sharpness and vigilance of the gaze is accentuated by the dark shadow spot at the neck. The focus of Ours blanc is on the viewer or sculptor who is focusing back on the form. There is a calmness in the smile that is defined by the animal’s full, extended lips.
In 1928, the present lot was acquired by Susana Baron Supervielle through Galerie Duchemin, as indicated in Pompon's stock book. Susana (1910-2004) was an Argentine composer who studied musicology in Paris. Later, she founded the first school for electroacoustic music of São Paulo, Brazil, where she lived with her husband Jorge Tresca. According to the catalogue raisonné for the artist, twelve examples of this marble version were executed. Examples of this work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon.
Christie's would like to thank Liliane Colas for her assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.