Gaston Lachaise (American/French, 1882-1935) Female Nude, Kneeling with one Leg Extended and One Arm Raised

Description:

Gaston Lachaise (American/French, 1882-1935)

Female Nude, Kneeling with one Leg Extended and One Arm Raised
Signed "G Lachaise" l.r., dedicated "For Chuck/with love/from/Irma" in pencil on the
reverse.
Pencil on paper, 19 x 12 1/8 in. (48.2 x 30.7 cm),framed.
Condition: Small tear, scattered abrasions, mounting residue, creasing, toning, mat burn.

Provenance: Ex collection of Charles Percy Parkhurst (1913-2008),Williamstown, Massachusetts. Parkhurst was a part of the so-called Williams Art Mafia. He worked as a museum curator, professor, and was one of the "Monuments Men."

N.B. Gaston Lachaise's Kneeling Female Nude formerly belonged to Charles Percy Parkhurst, art historian and arts administrator as well as one of the historic "monuments men" who worked to track down and repatriate art stolen by the Nazis during World War II. The drawing, rendered in a spare linear style, depicts a kneeling woman who, with her extended left hand, invites the viewer to look in the direction of her other, upraised hand. The image appears to be based on a statuette by Lachaise of a kneeling nude with both hands raised that was completed by 1930 (illustrated in J. Day, J. Stenger, K. Eremin, N. Khandekar, and V. Budny, Gaston Lachaise: Characteristics of His Bronze Sculpture, Cambridge, Mass., 2012, p. 21, Figs. 20a-20b). In both works, the woman seems to act as an inspiratrice.

We are grateful to Virginia Budny for her assistance in preparing the catalogue entry for this work.
Estimate $2,000-3,000

Small tear (3/8 in.) to c.r. edge, small hole (1/8 in.) l.c. to left of the figure's extended foot, abrasion and paper fragments from an old mounting along top edge of recto, measuring about 1 inch deep, minor abrasions to each of the lower corners of recto, tack holes to l.c. edge, crease to bottom edge just left of center, handling creases, spattered ink spots, toning, mat burn, brown paper tape and glue remnants along top and bottom edges of the reverse, currently tape hinged to window mat in two places at top edge of the reverse.



The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging. Condition requests can be obtained via email (lot inquiry button) or by telephone to the appropriate gallery location (Boston/617.350.5400 or Marlborough/508.970.3000). Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Skinner Inc. shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.

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