Latest news with #Rouillac
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Despair to delight: lost Rodin 'copy' sells for $1m
A small marble sculpture thought to be a copy of the French artist Auguste Rodin's work has turned out to be the real thing, selling for almost $1m at an auction in France on Monday. The sculpture, called "Despair", a figure of a woman hugging her knees and holding one foot, is a work by the famed sculptor from 1892 that had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906. For the owners, "Despair" turned to delight when the piece they believed to be a Rodin copy was confirmed as authentic by the Comite Rodin after a six-week probe. French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac described it as an "extremely rare" find and the work was put up for auction and eventually sold for €860,000 (£725,000; $982,000). "Despair" was originally modelled by Rodin as part of his series of figures for The Gates of Hell. According to the Musée Rodin, the figure is a depiction of sorrow and the French sculptor created other versions after it was positively received. After the family who owned the 28.5cm (11 inches) marble figure – which had sat on their piano for years – approached Mr Rouillac, he and his team spent months investigating the origins of the piece. In March, Mr Rouillac brought the piece to the Comité Rodin, a research group dedicated to studying the works of Rodin, who confirmed its authenticity six weeks later. The committee found that "Despair" had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906. "We have rediscovered it," Mr Rouillac told the AFP news agency. Museum unable to locate £3m Rodin sculpture Rodin marble sells for record $20m
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Rodin ‘copy' sells for $1.26 million in France
A marble sculpture by French sculptor Auguste Rodin entitled "Le Desepsoir" (The Despair), created between 1892 and 1893. PHOTO: AFP RENNES, France - The owners thought the sculpture perched for years on the corner of a piano was a Rodin copy, but after being declared as the real thing the small marble figure has now sold for €860,000 (S$1.26 million) at auction, organisers said on June 9. Described as an 'extremely rare' find by auction organiser Aymeric Rouillac, the figure was in fact an 1892 work, 'Despair' by Auguste Rodin, that had gone missing after being sold at auction in 1906. The work was put on sale at the weekend at an opening price of €500,000, but eventually sold for €860,000, according to Mr Rouillac. The family had long believed the 28.5cm figure of a sitting woman holding one foot was a copy of the legendary sculptor's work, said Mr Rouillac. After the owners approached Mr Rouillac about another matter, he and his team spent months investigating the origin of the sculpture, including even looking into the family's origins. He went to the Comite Rodin in March and the body that is considered the leading authority on the French artist confirmed its authenticity six weeks later. Mr Rouillac said the committee found that 'Despair' was sold at auction in 1906 and then disappeared from view. 'So we have rediscovered it,' he told AFP. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rodin 'copy' sells for $1 million in France
The owners thought the sculpture perched for years on the corner of a piano was a Rodin copy, but after being declared as the real thing the small marble figure has now sold for one million dollars at auction, organisers said Monday. Described as an "extremely rare" find by auction organiser Aymeric Rouillac, the figure was in fact an 1892 work, "Despair" by Auguste Rodin, that had gone missing after being sold at auction in 1906. The work was put on sale at the weekend at an opening price of 500,000 euros, but eventually sold for 860,000 euros (one million dollars), according to Rouillac. The family had long believed the 28.5 centimetre (11 inch) figure of a sitting woman holding one foot was a copy of the legendary sculptor's work, said Rouillac. After the owners approached Rouillac about another matter, he and his team spent months investigating the origin of the sculpture, including even looking into the family's origins. He went to the Comite Rodin in March and the body that is considered the leading authority on the French artist confirmed its authenticity six weeks later. Rouillac said the committee found that "Despair" was sold at auction in 1906 and then disappeared from view. "So we have rediscovered it," he told AFP. bur-ban/tw/gv
France 24
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Rodin 'copy' sells for $1 million in France
Described as an "extremely rare" find by auction organiser Aymeric Rouillac, the figure was in fact an 1892 work, "Despair" by Auguste Rodin, that had gone missing after being sold at auction in 1906. The work was put on sale at the weekend at an opening price of 500,000 euros, but eventually sold for 860,000 euros (one million dollars), according to Rouillac. The family had long believed the 28.5 centimetre (11 inch) figure of a sitting woman holding one foot was a copy of the legendary sculptor's work, said Rouillac. After the owners approached Rouillac about another matter, he and his team spent months investigating the origin of the sculpture, including even looking into the family's origins. He went to the Comite Rodin in March and the body that is considered the leading authority on the French artist confirmed its authenticity six weeks later. Rouillac said the committee found that "Despair" was sold at auction in 1906 and then disappeared from view. "So we have rediscovered it," he told AFP.
