Stanislas Lami (1844-1944) Portrait of Rembrandt... Lot 12

Stanislas Lami (1844-1944) Portrait of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606 / 08-1669) Circa 1896 Wax bust Presented in a glass cage bearing a Stanislas LAMI cartouche H. 30 cm H. Total : 42 cm Wear and dust Related literature: Grégoire de Thoury, Stanislas Lami (1858-1944), catalog raisonné des sculptures, Paris, 2014, bronze model listed under no. FH2. Better known for his masterly literary work, Stanislas Lami was as much an artist as an erudite connoisseur. Son of the sculptor Alphonse Lami, grandson of the neoclassical painter Bidauld, son-in-law of the art dealer Charles Sedelmeyer, he benefited throughout his life from an environment conducive to the promotion and commissioning of his written and sculpted works. While he wrote his famous dictionaries of the sculptors of the École Française over a period of some forty years, he also exhibited regularly at the Salon des Artistes français between 1882 and 1942. This highly realistic wax portrait of Rembrandt was produced in bronze by the Siot-Decauville foundry. A bronze copy was exhibited at the 1896 Salon. A wax version of the same bust is cited in literature on the artist. During the first decade of the twentieth century, his interest focused particularly on works in hard wax. He presented two at each Salon between 1901 and 1906, earning him compliments in the press: "Monsieur Lami has admirably colored waxes; these are works of a delicate, precious and precise art, enriched by a personal touch that further enhances their perfect execution. His Salammbô and Coquetterie attract a select audience" (Le Courrier de la presse: Le monde artiste, June 28, 1903, 24 rue des Capucines, article signed M. Tenéo). His most masterful work in this material is undoubtedly his portrait of Ida Rubinstein as Cleopatra (polychromed hard wax statuette set with precious stones, circa 1910, Sotheby's London sale December 14, 2001 lot 183).