As of Monday, they are on display for the first time in Poland at the Desa Unicum auction house in Poland’s capital.
The most important item in the collection is Little Dancer of Fourteen Years, Degas’ only sculpture he exhibited during his lifetime.
France’s Edgar Degas (1834-1917), regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, was most famous for his depictions and sculptures of ballerinas. In 1881, he displayed the Little Dancer of Fourteen Years during the 6th Impressionist Exhibition in Paris. The piece caused a wave of criticism and extreme views from the public at the time. Today, it is on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
After Degas died in 1917, his heirs found around 150 sculptures in his Paris house, including a wax version of the famous dancer. A decision was made to cast bronze sculptures.
The collection at the auction comes from a second run of casting made by French foundry Valsuani. The earliest, most sough-after casts were produced by the Hébrard foundry in the 1920s.
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Source: PAP