Doe and Hope

Description

Finely cast in bronze, and now with a beautiful patination, the life size proportioned sculptured human hand modelled in a relaxed position survives from the first half of the twentieth century.

Most probably a unique commissioned stand-alone piece, the model has a rich deep patina, commensurate with age and has not been over cleaned nor restored or damaged in any way, though is apparently unsigned. It is hollow cast but remains a good weight and we have refrained from cleaning it. The study is rather difficult to date but the natural patina it shows gives us a good educated idea.

The sculpture is reminiscent of the style of Auguste Rodin (French, 1840–1917) who was especially skilled at creating human hands. In a career that spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Auguste Rodin was deeply inspired by tradition yet rebelled against its idealized forms, introducing innovative practices that paved the way for modern sculpture. He believed that art should be true to nature, a philosophy that shaped his attitudes to models and materials. This piece is a homage to that philosophy.

A wonderfully naturalistic piece of eminent sculpture with a ever so slight haunting quality.