Paul Howard Manship (American, 1885-1966) Sarah Jane Manship

Description:

Paul Howard Manship (American, 1885-1966)

Sarah Jane Manship, the Artist's Daughter, 3 Months Old
Signed and dated "PAUL MANSHIP 1929" on the back.
Plaster, length 19 in. (48.3 cm).
Condition: Crack to ankle with losses, light abrasions, surface grime.
Provenance: From the artist to his daughter, Sarah Jane Murtha, as stated in his will, dated 1965.
N.B. Although known for his public monuments such as the Prometheus Fountain in Rockefeller Center, this sculpture of the artist's daughter offers a more intimate view of Manship's work. It was most likely completed shortly after Sarah's birth, on June 19, 1929, in Paris. Throughout his career, Manship was able to seamlessly blend traditional and modern aesthetics. From 1909 to 1911, he studied in Rome where he was exposed to Classical and Archaic sculptures, often directly referencing them in his own works. By the 1920s Manship's style was beginning to change, especially visible in his portraiture. Murtha writes, "over the years the style of Manship's portraits progressed from a formal point of view towards characterization and spontaneity" (1) This work, with the pose of the baby and the drapery of the fabric, certainly reflects Manship's shifted emphasis towards realism and the illusion of mass.
(1) Murtha, Edwin, Paul Manship (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1957),p. 15
A reproduction of this work in marble is in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
A copy of the artist's will, two passports belonging to Sarah Janet Murtha, and a copy of Edwin Murtha's Paul Manship accompany the lot.
Estimate $20,000-40,000

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