Fréderic-Auguste BARTHOLDI (1834-1904) - Lot 107

Fréderic-Auguste BARTHOLDI (1834-1904) Statue of Liberty Zinc sculpture Signed on the base and dated 1875 inscribed: Enregistré à Washington, 31 Aout 1876, 9939-C, and inscribed Avoiron Paris H : 42 cm (wear) As a sculptor, Bartholdi depended largely on public commissions for his work. Liberty was not a commission but a passion, devouring his energy, his time and above all his personal finances. Parallel to the construction of the Statue of Liberty, but unrelated either as preparatory studies or as models used in the process, were reproductions of casts made in France primarily for public sale. Avoiron et Cie. was the only foundry to reproduce the statue in cast iron for direct sale, and the only one with which Bartholdi had a contract. Avoiron's production of Liberty in serial casts can be traced with certainty to 1878. Castings of the statue were made by the company in four sizes. Cast in zinc and galvanized in copper, with inscriptions including code letters and the name of the foundry poured into the mold, Avoiron's models feature a variety of figures, all of which were cold-stamped after each casting was removed from the mold. He reproduced models in reduced versions marked "B" and "C", reductions of model "A", made by mechanical means.