Exhibited: Brussels, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Ossip Zadkine, 1933Literature: Pierre Humbourg & Waldemar George, Ossip Zadkine sélection, Antwerp, 1928, p. 52, illustratedAndré de Ridder, Zadkine, Paris, 1929, pl. 3, illustratedPierre Humbourg, Zadkine, Paris, 1930, p. 47, illustrated
Ionel Jianou, Zadkine, Paris, 1964, p. 81, catalogued
Sylvain Lecombre, Ossip Zadkine, L'Œuvre sculpté, Paris, 1994, p. 149, no. 97, illustrated In the 1920s, Zadkine's style evolved to become more angular as he concentrated on carving in stone or wood, rather than modelling soft materials. He began to use precious materials, occasionally gilding or lacquering wood, or using highly polished bronze. In the present work the angular form of the face, combined with the gilded surface, catch nuances in changing light and shade to create sharp contrasts in the features.Zadkine frequently turned to Asian sculpture for inspiration, which may be another explanation for his use of gold. In 1919 he created a gilded head he entitled Bouddha and must have spent time studying Asian sculpture in French public collections. The simplified yet elegant forms of the present work are indeed reminiscent of Buddhist representations of their god. When Zadkine returned to Paris from New York in 1947 he stayed with Steph Simon, the first owner of the present work, who also helped the sculptor reclaim his studio and apartment at 100 rue d'Assas.