Reclining Figure (Study), 1923. Bronze, dark brown patina. 38 × 22 × 18 cm.
Lot 002 · Sculpture
Reclining Figure (Study)
James Hartwell
Year
1923
Medium
Bronze, dark brown patina
Dimensions
38 × 22 × 18 cm
Estimate
NZD 32,000–45,000
Cast in an edition of three, this study represents the culmination of Hartwell's decade-long engagement with the reclining figure — a subject he returned to repeatedly after his time in Rodin's studio. The surface is worked with exceptional sensitivity: the patina deepens in the hollows of the torso and lightens across the raised planes of the shoulder and hip, creating a chiaroscuro effect that animates the bronze in changing light. The present cast is distinguished by the quality of the chasing, which retains the marks of the artist's hand more clearly than the other known examples.
Artist
James Hartwell
James Hartwell (1881–1951) was a British sculptor who trained under Auguste Rodin in Paris between 1903 and 1906. Returning to London, he established a studio in Chelsea and became known for his intimate figurative bronzes — smaller in scale than his contemporaries but charged with a psychological intensity that set them apart. His work was acquired by the Tate Gallery in 1934 and the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1947. Hartwell's estate was managed by his son, Sir William Hartwell, until the latter's death in 1986.