Edgar Degas, Ballerina Tying Her Shoe, 1890s, Bronze

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Measurements:
height: 12 cm; width: 13.5 cm; depth: 11 cm; weight: 1.869 kg

item :
a fine solid bronze sculpture … Read more Measurements:
height: 12 cm; width: 13.5 cm; depth: 11 cm; weight: 1.869 kg

item :
a fine solid bronze sculpture titled "dancer tying her shoe" or "dancer putting on her shoe" (danseuse attachant son chausson), dating to around 1920. On the edge of the circular base, a barely legible cursive signature is visible, although it resembles degas's signature. I believe the lack of legibility is due to the fact that the original was made of wax and therefore easily deformed. This exquisite sculpture, conceived by edgar degas (1834–1917) towards the end of his life, approximately between 1910 and 1915, immortalizes a moment of absolute, intimate and everyday realism: a young dancer captured in a complex forward twist of the torso, her arms reaching down to adjust her footwear. The original wax model, 43 centimeters tall and not yet cast by the artist, was found in his historic parisian studio soon after his death in 1917. Subsequently, with the crucial consent of degas's heirs, the famous french foundry a.a. Hébrard (cire perdue) took over the original model to create limited editions and faithful scale reductions in various sizes, including this splendid 12-centimeter-tall example. The work stands out for the extremely high artistic quality of the casting, where the surface superbly captures the highly textured essence of the impressionist "unfinished" style, highlighting the complex muscular tension of the torso and the rich, flounced drapery of the tutu. The exceptional specific weight of the piece—almost 2 kg despite its height of just 12 cm—is entirely solid bronze, with no additional marble bases. This testifies to an extraordinary and massive metallic consistency, enhanced by a deep, evident antique patina that beautifully coats the metal, fully confirming our dating. The exceptional structural fullness of the metal, the hand-cold finishing of the details, and, above all, the superb, deep original patina firmly place this rare piece in the early decades of the 20th century, around 1920, ruling out any comparison with commercial reproductions or posthumous editions from the second half of the 20th century.

information on the artist and/or manufacturer:
edgar degas devoted the last years of his life almost exclusively to sculpture, finding in the manipulation of wax and clay an extraordinary tactile medium to compensate for the progressive loss of his eyesight. Among the approximately 150 private models discovered in his studio after his death in 1917, the series dedicated to ballerinas represents the pinnacle of his research into anatomical dynamism. The preservation of this artistic oeuvre was entrusted by his heirs to the a.a. Degas foundry. Hébrard of paris, then an international leader in lost-wax casting and renowned for its collaboration with masters such as rembrandt bugatti and auguste rodin. Under the technical guidance of master caster albino palazzolo, hébrard successfully translated the fragility of the original waxes into eternal bronze, enabling the widespread distribution of these small-scale masterpieces. Today, the historic series created by this exceptional parisian firm are celebrated and exhibited in major museums around the world, including the musée d'orsay in paris and the metropolitan museum in new york. This piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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