Joseph Antoine Bernard (1866–1931) - Lot 128

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Lot n° 128
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Joseph Antoine Bernard (1866–1931) - Lot 128
Joseph Antoine Bernard (1866–1931) Young Girl with a Pitcher (Small-scale version), 1910 Bronze cast, No. 8 Lost-wax casting by Claude Valsuani, between 1919 and 1925 Caster’s stamp (at the bottom of the jug’s back): “CIRE/C.VALSUANI/PERDUE” Signature and number finely engraved (on the back of the stone base): “8 J. Bernard 8” Without base: 60.5 x 21 x 32 cm With base: 67.5 cm Provenance: Private collection “Today, we no longer realize just how novel and modern the synthetic and formal character of this figure—and its rejection of the anecdotal—were.”1 An iconic work by the sculptor Joseph Bernard, *Young Girl with a Pitcher*, also titled *Water Carrier*, was exhibited for the first time at the Salon d’Automne in 1912. It was a resounding success, often compared to the acclaim Maillol received a few years earlier for *La Méditerranéenne* in 1905 at the same Salon. Critical enthusiasm for this large-scale female figure led the sculptor to exhibit it at the International Exhibition at the Armory Show in New York the following year, in 1913. In the gallery of French sculptures and paintings, *The Young Girl with the Pitcher* was displayed alongside works by Maillol, Lehmbruck, and Brancusi. All of these works reflect a desire to break free from Rodin’s influence and a quest for modernity in form rather than subject matter. The earliest known version dates from 1905 and stands 54 cm tall. From this, Hébrard produced an initial bronze cast, measuring 184 cm, based on the plaster model exhibited at the Salon d’Automne and the Armory Show. *The Young Girl with a Pitcher*, a life-size version measuring 64 cm, is a reduction of the large model that was exhibited. Joseph Bernard revisits the subject of the water-bearer, a theme widely explored in art history and particularly in 19th-century sculpture. Here, the body is nude, highlighting the youthful features and emphasizing the body’s femininity. The pose is reminiscent of the water-bearer painted by Puvis de Chavannes in *Vision Antique*, an oil on canvas that Joseph Bernard most likely saw on the monumental staircase in the Palais des Arts in Lyon while he was a student at the École des Beaux-Arts, before arriving in Paris in 1896. The jug, a symbol of fertility, contributes to the interplay of rhythm: its weight is harmoniously counterbalanced by the sweeping movement of the left arm. The feet, deliberately turned inward, add to the sense of rhythm. Through the calm and decorative grace that emanate from this young girl, Joseph Bernard breaks radically with the lyrical momentum of Rodin’s work—an influence from which he sought to free himself from the very beginning of his career in Paris. Joseph Bernard would develop the theme of dance in other figures that would follow the tradition established by *The Young Girl with the Pitcher*, such as *The Dancing Faun*, another remarkable work by the sculptor. The subject of the water-bearer would continue to inspire the greatest sculptors throughout the 20th century, particularly Pablo Gargallo and Ossip Zadkine, both of whom also contributed to the revival of direct carving. *The Young Girl with the Pitcher* was quickly associated with the eminently modern work of the interior designer Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, with whom he formed a deep friendship in the early 1920s. Its classical grace fits perfectly into modern interiors: it was exhibited at the Salon des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in 1925, in the “Collector’s Mansion”—the Ruhlmann Pavilion. An overall atmosphere of elegance emanates from it: the clean lines and meticulous attention to smooth surfaces combine with the softness and sensuality of Bernard’s sculpture. The work was a resounding success. The catalog raisonné published by Van Oest in 1932, 2 shortly after the sculptor’s death and compiled by Joseph Bernard’s wife, already documents the bronze version of *The Young Girl with the Pitcher*, a “petite nature” version, produced in an edition of 25 copies, while the volume published much later in 1989³ lists 29, including two with a gold patina. In the 1928 catalog 4, the purchaser of our work, numbered “8” twice, is Mr. Besse. Its last owner was an American collector. The decorative quality of this eighth cast by Valsuani is enhanced by the stone base. In a rare occurrence among the known casts to date of *Young Girl with a Pitcher*, *Petite Nature* version, the figure rests directly on a stone pedestal. According to Pascale Grémont-Gervaise, an expert on the artist, “This example is truly remarkable and unique: the girl’s feet do not rest on a bronze pedestal, but on a stone base.”
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