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Lot Essay
Les idoles féminines aux bras croises sont les représentations les plus fameuses datant de l’Age du Bronze ayant survécu jusqu’à nos jours. Le traitement schématique du corps humain, où la forme humaine a été réduite au strict essentiel, a été brillamment conçu par ces sculpteurs anonymes du IIIème millénaire avant J.-C. La plupart des exemples proviennent de tombes, mais seulement relativement peu de tombes ont livré ces idoles, indiquant le statut élevé de leurs propriétaires d'origine. Leur signification et leur usage dans l'Antiquité nous est toujours inconnus à ce jour, ajoutant au mystère qui les enveloppe.
La redécouverte de l’art des Cyclades a eu lieu dans le courant du XIXème siècle, quand les premières idoles furent recueillies par des voyageurs, avant de trouver rapidement le chemin vers les musées comme le Louvre ou le British Museum. La sculpture cycladique a eu une énorme influence sur le mouvement moderniste; elle a inspiré de nombreux grands artistes du XXe siècle, tels que Modigliani. Une tête en marbre presque grandeur nature, provenant probablement de Keros, a été acquis par le Louvre en 1873, et a sans doute influencé Brancusi (cf. P. Getz-Gentle, Ancient Art of the Cyclades, p. 17). Moore et Picasso possédaient également des idoles cycladiques, et Picasso est connu pour avoir dit que sa pièce était «plus puissante qu’un Brancusi.»
The folded-arm female figure from the Bronze Age Cyclades is one of the most iconic sculptural types to have survived from antiquity. The schematic treatment of the human body, where the human form was reduced to its barest essentials, was brilliantly conceived by these unknown sculptors of the 3rd millennium B.C. Most excavated examples come from graves, but only comparatively few graves have yielded such figures, indicating the high status of their original owners. It is not known what meaning these marble figures had in antiquity or even if they ever served a function prior to their entombment.
The modern rediscovery of Cycladic sculpture occurred in the 19th century, when figures were collected by travellers, some soon finding their way to museums such as the Louvre and the British Museum. Cycladic sculpture had a tremendous influence on the Modernist movement; they inspired many of the 20th century's top artists, such as Modigliani. A nearly lifesized head of a Cycladic figure, thought to be from Keros, was acquired by the Louvre in 1873, which no doubt influenced Brancusi (see P. Getz-Gentle, Ancient Art of the Cyclades, p. 17). Moore and Picasso owned Cycladic objects. Picasso is known to have remarked that his Cycladic idol was "stronger than Brancusi."
La redécouverte de l’art des Cyclades a eu lieu dans le courant du XIXème siècle, quand les premières idoles furent recueillies par des voyageurs, avant de trouver rapidement le chemin vers les musées comme le Louvre ou le British Museum. La sculpture cycladique a eu une énorme influence sur le mouvement moderniste; elle a inspiré de nombreux grands artistes du XXe siècle, tels que Modigliani. Une tête en marbre presque grandeur nature, provenant probablement de Keros, a été acquis par le Louvre en 1873, et a sans doute influencé Brancusi (cf. P. Getz-Gentle, Ancient Art of the Cyclades, p. 17). Moore et Picasso possédaient également des idoles cycladiques, et Picasso est connu pour avoir dit que sa pièce était «plus puissante qu’un Brancusi.»
The folded-arm female figure from the Bronze Age Cyclades is one of the most iconic sculptural types to have survived from antiquity. The schematic treatment of the human body, where the human form was reduced to its barest essentials, was brilliantly conceived by these unknown sculptors of the 3rd millennium B.C. Most excavated examples come from graves, but only comparatively few graves have yielded such figures, indicating the high status of their original owners. It is not known what meaning these marble figures had in antiquity or even if they ever served a function prior to their entombment.
The modern rediscovery of Cycladic sculpture occurred in the 19th century, when figures were collected by travellers, some soon finding their way to museums such as the Louvre and the British Museum. Cycladic sculpture had a tremendous influence on the Modernist movement; they inspired many of the 20th century's top artists, such as Modigliani. A nearly lifesized head of a Cycladic figure, thought to be from Keros, was acquired by the Louvre in 1873, which no doubt influenced Brancusi (see P. Getz-Gentle, Ancient Art of the Cyclades, p. 17). Moore and Picasso owned Cycladic objects. Picasso is known to have remarked that his Cycladic idol was "stronger than Brancusi."