Born in Warsaw in 1882 and classically trained in Paris as early as 1904, Elie Nadelman was closely acquainted with Gertrude and Leo Stein, who introduced him to Pablo Picasso and the leading avant-garde artists of the century. The Polish sculptor established an international reputation after his inclusion in the 1913 Armory Show in New York, which benefited him greatly just one year later when he permanently moved to America to escape World War I. Nadelman married Viola Flannery, a wealthy heiress, and together the couple developed one of the nation’s largest and most innovative collects ions of folk art. Nadelman and his wife ultimately amassed an assemblage of fifteen thousand objects and opened the Museum of Folk and Peasant Art in Riverdale, New York dedicated to sharing their interest with the public. His own sculptures demonstrate this unique blend of classical training with a personal affinity for folk art, which converge into whimsical yet expertly crafted objects.

Nadelman is regarded as one of the nation’s leading twentieth century sculptors, renowned for his masterful blending of classical forms with subjects derived from modern life. He first exhibited his carved cherry wood figures at the Allies of Sculpture charity exhibition held in New York in December of 1917. He showcased four examples of his recent work, including La Femme Assise, Adolescent, and Concert Singer (fig. 1). The public reception to Nadelman’s unveiling of his cherry wood figurines was overwhelmingly negative, both due to the reputation of the medium itself and the styling of his subjects. Known for his elegant bronze nudes and classical marble heads, these wood carvings were out of character for Nadelman, and certainly spoke to his growing interest in folk art. Viewers were particularly perturbed by the sculptor’s decision to clothe female figures such as La Femme Assise in everyday garments. In response to the animosity generated by his works at Allies of Sculpture, Nadelman rejected the criticism wholeheartedly. “It proves that habit and not logic makes people accept or reject things; when the public does not find nude women in sculpture, they wonder whether the works are artistic or not,” he wrote to the New York World on 19 December 1917 (as quoted in Lincoln Kirstein, Elie Nadelman, New York, 1973, p. 212). It is ironic given the early response to Nadelman’s carved cherry wood female figures that these are now his most highly sought after and celebrated sculptures.

Carved in cherry wood and adorned with painted facial features, Chanteuse (c. 1925) derives its subject matter from Nadelman’s experiences at Manhattan concert halls and theaters. He became enamored with the city’s jazz nightlife and circus performers in the 1910s and early 20s, which manifests itself in the theatrical gestures of his wooden figures. He transforms these performers into "idealized, t.mes less images," according to curator Barbara Haskell (Barbara Haskell, Elie Nadelman: Sculptor of Modern Life, New York, 2003, p. 117). The present woman raises her arm to express the act of singing, her pose remarkably animated and dynamic. The fullness of her skirt and the slender, delicate posture of Chanteuse is reminiscent of Seurat’s society ladies, most notably illustrated in A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (fig. 2). Like Nadelman, Seurat’s body of work shows an indebtedness to circus performers and dancers, with both artists closely observing female performers in their respective crafts.

In addition to Chanteuse, Nadelman’s most well-known wood series include the dancing pair, Tango and the maestro, Chef d’Orchestre (figs. 3-4). The common thread between these sculpted performers is how successfully stylized Nadelman renders each carved form. Their graceful bodies are each imbedded with rhythm and energy as a direct result of his skillful technique. Only an artist educated in Europe and matured in America could produce forms that effortlessly fuse classical teachings with lesser-known folk aesthetics.

Chanteuse is one of four of its kind and therefore one of the rarest and most exceptional wooden carvings he ever produced. Three renditions of Chanteuse reside in private collects ions (including the present example), while the fourth and final known version entered the Pennsylvania Academy of the Replica Handbags s in 2003 as a bequest from Vivian and Meyer Potamkin. The last t.mes one of these figures traded at auction was in May of 1998 when Replica Shoes ’s offered the Stefan T. Edlis collects ion. As the first offering of Chanteuse at public auction in more than twenty five years, the present work is an extraordinary sculpture to come to market. Beyond the rarity of the Chanteuse series, this particular example previously resided in the personal collects ion of Lloyd Goodrich, renowned art historian and former museum director of the Whitney Museum of American Art. All four wood carvings of Chanteuse differ slightly with respect to the handling of the paint on the figure’s face, neck and hair, but the present work is stunning in its preservation of the singer's sleek, painted hair as well as the maintenance of the cherry wood surface itself. Chanteuse is one of Nadelman's most iconic forms and it is a novelty to see this unique and captivating figure appear at auction.