PARIS.- The Kneeling Fauness, a major work in marble by French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917), is to be put up for sale at Cornette de Saint Cyr's Impressionist and Modern Art auction organised at Drouot-Montaigne, Paris, on Wednesday July 6th, 2011.

Signed and dedicated on the base « Au Maître Puvis de Chavannes », this 21 5/8 in. high statue, conceived in 1887, was produced in its marble version circa 1890. An emblematic figure in Rodin’s oeuvre, The Gates of Hell, it expresses well the ambivalence of the sculptor’s feelings towards women, both muses and temptresses. Rodin conjures to perfection through the brilliant modelling of the body, the contorted face and the delicacy of bared skin.

The Kneeling Fauness offers us a perfect example of the artist’s creation process: a deep knowledge of ancient art, enriched with modern inspirations, and a will to give its figures a certain autonomy. Sculpted in several variations, both in marble and bronze, the Fauness went on to exist independently from the work it was initially conceived for, and enjoyed great success as such, as soon as the end of the 1880s.

A major Impressionist and Modern Art auction at Drouot-Montaigne, Paris, on July 6th, 2011 : Rodin, Utrillo, Dominguez, van Dongen
Along with the beautiful Fauness, the auction will also feature artworks by major Impressionist and Modern masters: Maurice Utrillo’s Eglise de village, oil on canvas executed in 1912-1913, typical of the urban landscapes painted by the Montmartre-born artist ; Au spectacle, watercolor and charcoal on paper, circa 1900, from Dutch portraitist Kees van Dongen ; as well as Tauromachie, oil on canvas from 1950 by Oscar Dominguez, a fine example of the Spanish surrealist’s «cosmic» period. The catalogue for this sale also includes Jean and Raoul Dufy, Marie Laurencin, Paul Rebeyrolle and André Masson. The auction will be coordinated by Constance Lemasson, newly appointed head of the Impressionist and Modern Art Department at Cornette de Saint Cyr.

Constance Lemasson, newly appointed head of Impressionist and Modern Art
Constance Lemasson joined the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house in December 2010, and was recently appointed head of the Impressionist and Modern Art Department.

A specialist of this field, ranging from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th, she acquired a strong experience in international auction houses (Briest, Christie’s, Tajan). By bringing her expertise on a period not commonly represented at the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house, she aims at offering collectors an extensive overview on this period, from Impressionism to more contemporary movements.