HERMANN JOACHIM PAGELS
German, 1876-1959

A Greek Girl (1910)

Patinated bronze over marble plinth | signed in base "HERM JOACH PAGELS 1910" and engraved foundry mark "HEINZ & CO BERLIN"

Item # 310HOP02Z 

A remarkably sensitive full-length model of a Greek girl with her hands raised to tie her hair back with a single ribbon, the model is reminiscent of antiquity with echoes to Venus and footprints of the Classical in the modeling of her face while being refreshingly modern in its profile and form. The figure is nude and showcases the human form, beauty and poise and despite the distinctly Classical modeling, she is depicted with a highly naturalistic approach to her body with accute attention to muscle tone and curves with anatomical exactness rather than the idealized modeling of antiquity. Cast by the Heinz & Co foundry in Berlin, it features a rich nuanced dark-brown patina with hints of verdrigris throughout that again nods to its ancient inspirations while reddish hues come through the underlying layers; it is raised over a stepped marble base. She is an incredible beauty.

An exceedingly rare model, a plaster cast of this model was offered on the auction market in 2007 under the title "Weiblicher Akt", though the present example is the only cast in bronze we are aware of being offered on the open-market for many decades. A few years prior to the execution of this model in 1910, Pagels' presented a very similar composition to the present example in 1907; an cast of that model was offered as "The Greek Girl" on the open-market at Auktionhaus Stahl on 12-13 May 2023 as lot no. 605 [achieved 6100 euros, around $ 6500 USD at time of sale].

Artist Listings & Bibliography:

• E. Benezit ictionary of Artists, vol. X, Gründ, 2006, p. 777

Measurements: 35 1/2" H [including marble base]; marble base is 9 7/8" W/D; 28 3/4" H x 10 5/8" W x 6 1/2" D [bronze];

Condition Report:
Light surface scuffs to her shoulder blades and very minor scratches to her legs, trace verdigris to reccesses (neck, armpits, around face, feet, etc.); roughness and light chipping to the marble plinth; discoloration to marble throughout; cleaned, sealed in conservator's grade wax, a very fine presentation.