Cecil Howard sculpture collection to auction

A collection of sculptures by British-Canadian artist Cecil Howard (1888-1956) will be offered in Sotheby’s 19th and 20th Century Sculpture sale.

Among the highlights is his Tireuse a L’arc (Archer) which dates to circa 1926-1928. It’s carved from Chassagne stone and outfitted with a wooden bow.

It’s valued at £12,000-18,000 ($15,569-23,353).

Cecil Howard Archer

Cecil Howard was skilled at capturing athletic movement 

Howard worked in a range of styles over the course of his career, from cubism to neo-classicism.

It’s the latter for which he is best known.

His works often depict athletes in motion.

Another work titled Torso de Boxeur (1930), valued at £5,000-7,000 ($6,487-9,082), is executed in the same style.

This example is made from plaster. Another in stone was awarded the Grand Prix at the 1937 Paris Exposition Universelle.

Sotheby’s comments: “All the sculptures in this remarkable collection come from Cecil Howard’s descendants.

“They represent a fascinating insight into the artist’s life, his developing sculptural styles, his techniques and his materials.”

Other stars of the July 12 sale include Jean Baptise Clesinger’s Cleopatre Mourante (The Dying Cleopatra).

The piece is valued at £100,000-150,000 ($129,740-194,610).

Reclining female nudes were Clesinger’s speciality and this is one of an acclaimed series. The work was submitted to the Paris Salon in 1861, after a period of absence.

Sotheby’s comments: “The artistic power of the Cléopâtre lies in the marriage of the antique inspiration and the intensely life-like modelling for which the sculptor was famous.”

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