A woman puts her hair up
Signed Carl Milles. Bronze, dark patina. Height 36 cm.
Bukowskis International Spring Auction, May 2003, auction no 528, catalogue no 305.
France was the leading nation in sculpture during the second half of the 19th century and Auguste Rodin was the most renowned. A young Milles received an opportunity to work in Paris with the great Rodin, who soon became his mentor and influenced him greatly. In a letter to Erik Hedén Milles wrote, "To me Rodin is a sculptor in the full meaning of the word and is a great one at that." In the present lot (catalog no. 153), which is both unique and rare, one can see how he strived for a more unrestricted shape and was influenced by his teacher's style. The finish of his work from this period is more impressionistic.