Hugo Robus Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Hugo Robus Art Value Price Guide

Sep. 29, 2024
Hugo Robus 1885-1964 stone sculpture of a woman - signed
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
a stone sculpture of a woman by Hugo Robus 1885-1964. Sculpture is carved from a block of stone and signed ( by engraving) at the bottom. Sits on a wooden base. height including base : 43 cm height without base : 38 cm width: 31 cm
Alma
Aug. 10, 2024
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) Motherhood, Plaster, 11 1/2 x 7 x 4"
Est: $500 - $700
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) Motherhood, Plaster, 11 1/2 x 7 x 4"
Bakker Auctions
Mar. 06, 2024
Hugo Robus
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
American, 1885-1964 The Heir Signed Hugo Robus and stamped Fonderia Artistica Battaglia Milano near the base Bronze with brown patina 25 x 8 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches (63.5 x 21 x 26.7 cm) Some minor variation to patina. Dust and dirt in deepest crevices. Rubbing to high points.
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Mar. 05, 2024
Girl Washing Her Hair
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Hugo Robus 1885 - 1964 Girl Washing Her Hair signed HUGO ROBUS (along the base) marble 17 by 28 ⅝ by 12 ¾ in. 43.2 by 72.9 by 32.4 cm. Conceived and modeled in 1930; this unique version executed by 1939.
Sotheby's
Feb. 18, 2024
Hugo Robus (Attr.) - Sculpture
Est: $200 - $300
An abstract figural marble sculpture in the manner of Hugo Robus. Unsigned. 14 x 25 x 8. All measurements are in inches. (Height x Width x Depth).
Barton's Auction
Feb. 15, 2024
Hugo Robus, Untitled (Farmer and His Dog)
Est: $800 - $1,200
Hugo Robus Untitled (Farmer and His Dog) graphite on paper sight: 46.50 h x 19.875 w in (118 x 50 cm) Signed to lower left quadrant 'Hugo Robus'. This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Dec. 03, 2023
Hugo Robus (Attr.) - Sculpture
Est: $300 - $400
An abstract figural marble sculpture in the manner of Hugo Robus. Unsigned. 14 x 25 x 8. Measurements are in inches. (Height x Width x Depth)
Barton's Auction
Nov. 30, 2023
HUGO ROBUS (1885 - 1964, AMERICAN) Girl Washing Her Hair.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
HUGO ROBUS (1885 - 1964, AMERICAN) Girl Washing Her Hair. Bronze with polished patina, 1933; reduction, 1959; cast 1976. Signed, Hugo Robus, dated, 1976, and stamped Forum Gallery. Numbered, 2/18. 210x355x152 mm; 8 1/4x14x6 inches. Provenance: Sotheby's, NY, May 15, 1991, lot 247; Private collection.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 30, 2023
HUGO ROBUS (1885 - 1964, AMERICAN) Woman Combing Her Hair.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
HUGO ROBUS (1885 - 1964, AMERICAN) Woman Combing Her Hair. Bronze with brown patina, 1935-36. Signed, Hugo Robus, stamped, Fonderia Artistica Battaglia. 368x457x368 mm; 14 1/2x18x14 1/2 inches. Exhibited: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, Artists for Victory; an Exhibition of Contemporary American Art, 1942, a brass version of this form was exhibited, and awarded second prize.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 07, 2023
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) Truncated Figure 20 in. (50.8 cm.) high, on a 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm.) high wooden base (Modeled circa 1960; Cast in 1995.)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) Truncated Figure inscribed and numbered 'HUGO ROBUS 3/9' and stamped 'F' (on the side of the figure's left thigh) bronze with brown patina 20 in. (50.8 cm.) high, on a 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm.) high wooden base Modeled circa 1960; Cast in 1995.
Bonhams
Nov. 07, 2023
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) The General 18 7/8 in. (47.9 cm.) high (Modeled in 1922; Cast in 2006.)
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
Hugo Robus (1885-1964) The General inscribed and numbered 'Hugo Robus / 2/6' (along the base) polished bronze 18 7/8 in. (47.9 cm.) high Modeled in 1922; Cast in 2006.
Bonhams
Oct. 07, 2023
Hugo Robus, New York / Ohio (1885-1964), lamp base with figural female nudes in relief, bronze, 18 1/2"H x 11"W x 6 1/2"D
Est: $800 - $1,200
Hugo Robus New York / Ohio, (1885-1964) lamp base with figural female nudes in relief bronze Produced in 1945. Limited edition of 1000. Produced by SILAS SNIDER & CO., NEW YORK Biography from the Archives of askART: Painter-sculptor Hugo Robus was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1885. He studied from 1904 to 1908 (1903-07 says Wichita State U) at the Cleveland School of Art, where he also was employed manufacturing jewelry, tableware and ivories. He continued his studies at the National Academy of Design in 1910-11 (1907-09: Wichita) under Emil Carlsen (1853-1932), and with Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, from 1912 to 1914. After completion of his studies, Robus returned to the United States in 1914. He began teaching painting at the Modern Art School in New York shortly thereafter. After leaving the school in 1918, he painted briefly, but by 1920 devoted his time almost exclusively to sculpture, working primarily in isolation and supporting his family through the sale of crafts. He did not show his work publicly until the 1930s, when his work achieved "the sweeping contours and highly polished sleekness of his mature style" (Falk). As a painter, he had created sophisticated Cubist studies of interiors, nudes and back yard scenes but dissatisfaction with his work had caused him to turn to sculpture. Rather than transpose Cubism into three dimensions, he developed a lyrical, expressionist style. People were his preferred subject matter, the parts of their bodies made round and bulbous so that the perimeters seemed bounded by continuous arcs, as in "Woman Combing Her Hair," 1927, now in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. The flow of volumes always lay at the base of his designs. Only briefly, in the late 1940s, did he investigate three-dimensional Cubism, using chunky, hollowed out forms. Robus chose not to emphasize the properties of materials, believing that "they distort or destroy pure form optically much more frequently than they enhance it." Hugo Robus's abstract figurative sculpture, "Invocation" is a large work on the campus of Wichita State University in Kansas. It was originally crafted in plaster (location unknown) in 1928-29. The plaster was first exhibited in the Sculptors Guild exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Robus's decision to create the figure in polished bronze was necessary to secure the structural integrity of the work and also because he "considered ours an age of metal." The androgynous figure of "Invocation" lifts its head to the sky, calling to a higher power. The streamlined, stylized anatomy conveys a plastic energy, an indication of what Roberta K. Tarbell called the "universal life force." Former Fairleigh Dickinson University president Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia donated "Girl Washing Her Hair," by Hugo Robus, to the University in 1981 in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Muscarelle. The sculpture now stands in the lobby of the Muscarelle Center for Building Construction Studies on the Teaneck-Hackensack campus in New Jersey. The piece is one of four original bronze castings and was acquired from the artist in 1961. Originally made in plaster and displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1940s, the sculpture was said to have embodied the essence of modern art. Robus was also a teacher at the Modern Art School in New York City, Columbia University, the Brooklyn Museum School, and Hunter College.
Ripley Auctions
Oct. 04, 2023
Quiet Form # 2
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Sculpture from the Estate of Angela Gross Folk Hugo Robus 1885 - 1964 Quiet Form #2 inscribed Hugo Robus and ROMAN BRONZE WORKS INC N.Y. (along the base) bronze height: 8 in. height: 20.3 cm.
Sotheby's
Dec. 04, 2022
Hugo Robus "Girl Washing Her Hair" Sculpture
Est: $300 - $500
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) "Girl Washing Her Hair" plaster sculpture with bronze patina, designed in 1976, inscribed "Hugo Robus, Copyright Stalva Studio" standing on a wood and metal base. Some scratches. 10.5" H x 16" W.
Auctions at Showplace
Nov. 04, 2022
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Paean, 1963-4 Bronze with golden brown patina 53-
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Paean, 1963-4 Bronze with golden brown patina 53-1/2 inches (135.9 cm) high Edition of 4 Inscribed on foot: HUGO ROBUS Stamped on reverse of base: ROMAN BRONZE WORK INC. N.Y. Property from a Distinguished New York Estate PROVENANCE: [possibly]Christies, New York, September 26, 2011, lot 3; Private collection, New York, possibly acquired from the above; Estate from the above. LITERATURE: R.K. Tarbell, Hugo Robus (1885-1964), Washington, D.C., 1980, p. 227, no. 127, fig. 114, another example illustrated. HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Nov. 04, 2022
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Singing Boy Bronze with golden brown patina 13
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Singing Boy Bronze with golden brown patina 13 inches (33.0 cm) high Inscribed on base: HUGO ROBUS Stamped indistinctly with foundry mark Property from a Distinguished New York Estate HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Nov. 04, 2022
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Mother and Child Bronze with brown patina 16 in
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Mother and Child Bronze with brown patina 16 inches (40.6 cm) high on a 1 inch (2.54 cm) high wood base Inscribed on base: HUGO ROBUS Property from a Distinguished New York Estate HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Jul. 28, 2022
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Standing Bronze
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Standing Bronze bronze with marble base inscribed Hugo Robus Overall with base: 63 3/4 x 29 x 17 inches.
Hindman
Jun. 04, 2022
Hugo Robus, New York, Ohio (1885 - 1964), Quiet Form, 1961-63, bronze sculpture on shaped ebonized base, 9"H x 21"W x 10"D (with base)
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Hugo Robus New York, Ohio, (1885 - 1964) Quiet Form, 1961-63 bronze sculpture on shaped ebonized base signed with foundry mark at base. Biography from the Archives of askART:Painter-sculptor Hugo Robus was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1885. He studied from 1904 to 1908 (1903-07 says Wichita State U) at the Cleveland School of Art, where he also was employed manufacturing jewelry, tableware and ivories. He continued his studies at the National Academy of Design in 1910-11 (1907-09: Wichita) under Emil Carlsen (1853-1932), and with Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Paris, from 1912 to 1914. After completion of his studies, Robus returned to the United States in 1914. He began teaching painting at the Modern Art School in New York shortly thereafter. After leaving the school in 1918, he painted briefly, but by 1920 devoted his time almost exclusively to sculpture, working primarily in isolation and supporting his family through the sale of crafts. He did not show his work publicly until the 1930s, when his work achieved "the sweeping contours and highly polished sleekness of his mature style" (Falk). As a painter, he had created sophisticated Cubist studies of interiors, nudes and back yard scenes but dissatisfaction with his work had caused him to turn to sculpture. Rather than transpose Cubism into three dimensions, he developed a lyrical, expressionist style. People were his preferred subject matter, the parts of their bodies made round and bulbous so that the perimeters seemed bounded by continuous arcs, as in "Woman Combing Her Hair," 1927, now in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. The flow of volumes always lay at the base of his designs. Only briefly, in the late 1940s, did he investigate three-dimensional Cubism, using chunky, hollowed out forms. Robus chose not to emphasize the properties of materials, believing that "they distort or destroy pure form optically much more frequently than they enhance it." Hugo Robus's abstract figurative sculpture, "Invocation" is a large work on the campus of Wichita State University in Kansas. It was originally crafted in plaster (location unknown) in 1928-29. The plaster was first exhibited in the Sculptors Guild exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Robus's decision to create the figure in polished bronze was necessary to secure the structural integrity of the work and also because he "considered ours an age of metal." The androgynous figure of "Invocation" lifts its head to the sky, calling to a higher power. The streamlined, stylized anatomy conveys a plastic energy, an indication of what Roberta K. Tarbell called the "universal life force." Former Fairleigh Dickinson University president Peter Sammartino and his wife, Sylvia donated "Girl Washing Her Hair," by Hugo Robus, to the University in 1981 in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Muscarelle. The sculpture now stands in the lobby of the Muscarelle Center for Building Construction Studies on the Teaneck-Hackensack campus in New Jersey. The piece is one of four original bronze castings and was acquired from the artist in 1961. Originally made in plaster and displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in the 1940s, the sculpture was said to have embodied the essence of modern art. Robus was also a teacher at the Modern Art School in New York City, Columbia University, the Brooklyn Museum School, and Hunter College.
Ripley Auctions
Nov. 06, 2021
Hugo Robus Figural Sculpture
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Provenance: Private Collection, New York & Palm Beach. In the late 1980s, the couple worked with Sid Deutsch Gallery to acquire a collection totalling around forty works by Hilla Rebay, Rudolf Bauer and Rolph Scarlett and others from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Their collection represented in this auction also includes large canvases by Paul Jenkins and Natwar Bhavsar.
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Jun. 20, 2021
Hugo Robus (US 1885 - 1964) Pr Signed Bronze
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
Figural Bas Relief Lamps . A great , large and rare to find pair of lamps . From a Westhampton Long Island NY estate
Clarke Auction Gallery
Feb. 06, 2021
Hugo Robus Bronze Figural Sculpture
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. S. Furer, Boca Raton, Florida. Much of Mrs. Furer's extensive art collection was acquired in Hempstead, New York during the 1960s.
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Feb. 06, 2021
Hugo Robus Bronze Figural Sculpture
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Provenance: Collection of Mrs. S. Furer, Boca Raton, Florida. Much of Mrs. Furer's extensive art collection was acquired in Hempstead, New York during the 1960s.
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Nov. 19, 2019
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Sleeping Woman
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Sleeping Woman bronze inscribed Hugo Robus No. 1 Height: 9 inches.
Hindman
Aug. 12, 2019
Hugo Robus. Large Signed Oil On Canvas
Est: $50 - $1,000
Signed lr left and from a Westchester storage .
Clarke Auction Gallery
Jan. 13, 2019
Hugo Robus Marble Sculpture of a Woman
Est: $300 - $500
Hugo Robus (1885-1964), marble sculpture of a woman, unsigned, also included are eleven 8" x 10" glossy photos of the sculpture all signed by Hugo Robus.
Kaminski Auctions
Dec. 09, 2018
HUGO ROBUS (AMERICAN, 1885-1964) SEATED NUDE CRAYON AND INK ON PAPER 7-1/4 X 8-1
Est: $500 - $700
Hugo Robus (American, 1885-1964) Seated Nude Crayon and ink on paper 7-1/4 x 8-1/4 inches (18.4 x 21.0 cm) (sight) Signed lower right: H.E. Robus HID04901242017
Heritage Auctions
Oct. 24, 2018
SIGNED HUGO ROBUS FIGURAL BAS RELIEF BRONZE LAMP
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Signed Hugo Robus Figural Bas Relief Bronze Lamp. A very good example being decorated on all 4 sides. Mounted on a wood base. Size: body 17" x 10" x 5.5", 34" overall.
Ashcroft and Moore
Oct. 24, 2018
SIGNED HUGO ROBUS FIGURAL BAS RELIEF BRONZE LAMP
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Signed Hugo Robus Figural Bas Relief Bronze Lamp. A very good example being decorated on all 4 sides. Mounted on a wood base. Size: body 17" x 10" x 5.5", 34" overall.
Ashcroft and Moore
Sep. 17, 2018
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 Quiet Form
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 Quiet Form Signed Hugo Robus, stamped with Fonderia Artistica/Battaglia, c/Milano foundry mark Bronze on wood base Size including base 8 1/2 x 20 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches Provenance: Forum Gallery, New York William Struna, New York until 2000 C
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Jun. 13, 2018
HUGO ROBUS Women Embracing Reproduction
Est: $150 - $250
Lower area of sculpture is marked ALVA STUDIOS. Depicts 2 nude female figures. Piece is brown toned with black toned base. Measures approx 11 inches tall 7 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep. Piece appears to be signed HUGO ROBUS near base. Nude sculpture, nude figural, nude figure, nude statue, female nude. Artwork, Sculpture, FIne art, Decorative arts
The Benefit Shop Foundation Inc.
Jun. 02, 2018
Hugo Robus Marble Sculpture of a Woman
Est: $500 - $800
Hugo Robus (1885-1964), marble sculpture of a woman, unsigned, also included are eleven 8" x 10" glossy photos of the sculpture all signed by Hugo Robus.
Kaminski Auctions
Dec. 24, 2017
Hugo Robus Bronze Woman & Child Statue
Est: -
Century: 20th Approx. Measurements: 13" x 24" x 14" Approx. Ship Weight: 55Lbs. Notes: Figure. Good condition. Includes$20,000 appraisal. Keywords: Collectible; DW9513
J Levine Auction & Appraisal LLC
Dec. 02, 2017
HUGO ROBUS (1885-1964): MOTHER AND CHILD
Est: $2,000 - $5,000
HUGO ROBUS (1885-1964): MOTHER AND CHILD Bronze on a rotating wood pedestal, signed 'Hugo Robus' and with the Roman Bronze Works, Inc., NY foundry mark on the back. 14 x 21 x 14 in. without stand.
STAIR
Jun. 15, 2017
HUGO ROBUS, American (1885-1964), Standing Female, bronze, inscribed "Hugo Robus" on base., 16 3/4"H
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
HUGO ROBUS American (1885-1964) Standing Female bronze, inscribed "Hugo Robus" on base. 16 3/4"H Provenance: Forum Gallery, New York, New York; Private Collection, New York. Other Notes: Tags: Sculpture, Modernist, Bronze
Shannon's
May. 10, 2017
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 First Born (The Family), 1951
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 First Born (The Family), 1951 Signed Hugo Robus on the left leg of the woman at rear Bronze with reddish-brown patina Height 18 inches C Property of a Connecticut Collector
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Apr. 07, 2017
HUGO ROBUS | The Spirit of Youth
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
bronze, light brown patina, on a 12 inch wooden base
Sotheby's
Feb. 04, 2017
Hugo Robus Figural Sculpture
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Hugo Robus Figural Sculpture
Palm Beach Modern Auctions
Jun. 12, 2016
HUGO ROBUS (1885-1964): THE SPIRIT OF YOUTH
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
HUGO ROBUS (1885-1964): THE SPIRIT OF YOUTH Bronze, inscribed 'Hugo Robus' on the side of the left foot. 45 x 10 x 10 in.
STAIR
Apr. 24, 2016
Hugo Robus (American/Cleveland, 1885-1964)
Est: $4,000 - $7,000
Hugo Robus (American/Cleveland, 1885-1964), "Seated Woman with Memories", patinated bronze, on a rectangular carved and painted wood base, signed at front edge of base, a "Fonderia Artistica/Battaglia/Milano" foundry mark at back of base, overall, h. 20-5/8", w. 7-1/2", d. 9-3/4". Robus attended the National Academy of Design in New York and the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in France. Influenced by the Cubist and Futurist movements, his abstracted figural sculptures, often of women and children, consist of smooth curves and gently rounded forms which suggest a sense of fluidity and movement.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Mar. 12, 2016
Hugo Robus (American/Cleveland, 1885-1964)
Est: $5,000 - $8,000
Hugo Robus (American/Cleveland, 1885-1964), "Seated Woman with Memories", patinated bronze, on a rectangular carved and painted wood base, signed at front edge of base, a "Fonderia Artistica/Battaglia/Milano" foundry mark at back of base, overall, h. 20-5/8", w. 7-1/2", d. 9-3/4". Robus attended the National Academy of Design in New York and the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in France. Influenced by the Cubist and Futurist movements, his abstracted figural sculptures, often of women and children, consist of smooth curves and gently rounded forms which suggest a sense of fluidity and movement.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jul. 03, 2015
Hugo Robus (1885-1964), women embracing, Alva Studios composite case, 24cm
Est: £30 - £40
Hugo Robus (1885-1964), women embracing, Alva Studios composite case, 24cm
Wellers Auctioneers
May. 05, 2015
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 Vase (Flower Vase; Enigmatic), 1928
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Hugo Robus American, 1885-1964 Vase (Flower Vase; Enigmatic), 1928 Bronze 65 inches full height (Three separate pieces: body 58 inches high including tangs; head 7 1/2 inches; base 5 x 14 3/4 x 17 1/2 inches Unique Provenance: Private collection, Great Neck, NY By descent in the family Exhibited: New York, Sculptors Guild, 1942, no. 60, illus. New York, Grand Central Art Galleries, 1946, no. 8 New York, Sculpture Center, 1951 New York, Sculpture Center, 1953, no. 67 Minneapolis, MN, Walker Art Center, 1954, no. 141 Washington, DC, Corcoran Gallery, 1958, no. 3 American Federation of Arts, 1960-62, travelling exhibition (exhibited at Whitney Museum of American Art only, not listed in catalogue) New York, Zabriskie Gallery, 1966 Hugo Robus (1885-1964), a travelling exhibition organized by the National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, DC, National Collection of Fine Arts, Nov. 30, 1979-Mar. 2, 1980; Allentown, PA, Allentown Art Museum, Jul. 13-Sep. 14, 1980; Columbus, OH, Oct. 21-Nov. 30, 1980 Literature: Louise Cross, "The Sculpture of Huge Robus," Parnassus 6, no 4 (April 1934): 13, illus. "Theme of Freedom at Sculptors' Show," Villager, September 24, 1942 Robert M. Coates, "The Art Galleries: Getting Started," The New Yorker 18, no. 32, Sep. 26, 1942: 46 "Hugo Robus," See 10, no. 1 (Jan. 1951): 33, illus. Lloyd Goodrich, foreword to Hugo Robus (1885-1964) (New York: Forum Gallery, 1966; Vase not in exhibition but illustrated in catalogue. Roberta Tarbell, Hugo Robus (1885-1964), National Collection of Fine Arts, Washington, DC, pp. 69, 169, cat. no. 13, illus. Roberta Tarbell noted in the exhibition catalogue for Hugo Robus (1885-1964): "The unique three-piece, life-size bronze casting was made at Bedi-Rassy, Inc. in August 1940. Fifteen months later, Robus sent just the head (see cat. no. 14) to the same foundry to have it case in bronze. Irene Robus noted in her diary that she had purchased fresh flowers for Vase for the opening of the outdoor exhibition of the Sculptors Guild on September 14, 1942." [Hugo Robus (1885-1964), p. 169] Dr. Tarbell further observed that Vase (fig. 35) is an example of how outrageous [Robus's] fantasies can be without in any way seeming to be out of the ordinary. Not only does he plant the solid female figure up to its ankles in the base, but he provides it with a detachable head -- the sculpture can be displayed with the unconcerned head properly supported on the neck, or carried nonchalantly hung from the placid -- but headless -- woman's index finger.... This is a visual conundrum for which Robus himself could not have supplied an answer; he also entitled the sculpture Enigmatic. It is sculpturally whole, even when humanly it has lost its reason." [Ibid., p. 69] C
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Apr. 23, 2015
HUGO ROBUS | The Spirit of Youth
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
bronze, golden brown patina
Sotheby's
Apr. 23, 2015
HUGO ROBUS | First Born (The Family)
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
bronze, golden brown patina
Sotheby's
Mar. 21, 2015
Hugo Robus bronze lamp base
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Hugo Robus (American 1885-1964)- Untitled- bronze lamp base, 1945, signed Hugo Robus on side, limited edition of 1000. 17 1/4''h, 18 1/4'' with base
Rachel Davis Fine Arts
Nov. 17, 2014
HUGO ROBUS (American, 1885-1964) Bathers (Compositions
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
HUGO ROBUS (American, 1885-1964) Bathers (Compositions of Nudes), 1917 Oil on canvas 16-1/8 x 16-1/8 inches (41.0 x 41.0 cm) Signed and dated lower right: H. Robus / 1917 PROPERTY FROM THE KING COLLECTION, TEXAS PROVENANCE: Sale: Kaminski Fine Art Auctions, Beverly, Massachusetts, April 30, 2006; Acquired by the present owner from the above. EXHIBITED: El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas, "Modern American Painting 1907-1936: The Maria and Barry King Collection," September 8, 2013-January 5, 2014, no. 42. LITERATURE: P.S. Cable, Modern American Painting 1907-1936: The Maria and Barry King Collection, exhibition catalogue, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas, 2013, pp. 110-12, no. 42, illustrated. Executed in 1917, while sharing a studio with fellow Modernist William Zorach in New York, Bathers (Composition of Nudes) represents a watershed moment in the artist's career when he transitioned from a painter of the human form, to a sculptor. For additional information on Hugo Robus, please refer to the description of lot 68019.
Heritage Auctions
Nov. 17, 2014
HUGO ROBUS (American, 1885-1964) The Sleeper, circa 191
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
HUGO ROBUS (American, 1885-1964) The Sleeper, circa 1914-15 Oil on canvas 32 x 26 inches (81.3 x 66.0 cm) Signed lower left: Robus PROPERTY FROM THE KING COLLECTION, TEXAS PROVENANCE: The artist; Estate of the above; Forum Gallery, New York; Acquired by the present owner from the above, June 2007. EXHIBITED: Forum Gallery, New York, "Hugo Robus: Sculpture and Paintings," May 10-June 22, 2007; Park Avenue Armory Show, New York, "Modernism," November 17-20, 1994; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas, "Modern American Painting 1907-1936: The Maria and Barry King Collection," September 8, 2013-January 5, 2014, no. 40. LITERATURE: Forum Gallery, New York, "Hugo Robus: Sculpture and Paintings," exhibition catalogue, New York, 2007, n.p., illustrated; P.S. Cable, Modern American Painting 1907-1936: The Maria and Barry King Collection, exhibition catalogue, El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas, 2013, pp. 110-12, no. 40, illustrated; In Hugo Robus' The Sleeper, contrasting colors and geometric facets allow the viewer to see several viewpoints of the subject at once, an innovative process that effects a sensuous and visceral experience. This concept of "mobile perspective" is clearly evocative of the European Orphists and the School of Simultaneity, in particular, the paintings of Robert Delaunay. In The Sleeper, Robus displays a dazzling grasp of three-dimensional form, leading the way to a highly creative and successful career as a sculptor. Born in Cleveland, the sculptor and painter Hugo Robus studied at the Cleveland School of Art from 1904-1907, and at the National Academy of Design in New York from 1907-1909. One of his earliest modern inspirations was his discovery of sketches on view at Stieglitz's 291 gallery by the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin, who would remain an enduring influence. In early 1912 Robus left for Paris, where he studied until 1914 with Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (a previous assistant to Rodin) at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. While in Paris the artist visited the 1912 Futurist exhibition at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune, and he attended the famous Saturday evening salons at Gertrude and Leo Stein at 27 rue de Fleurus. By 1913 he became acquainted with fellow American expatriates and Synchromists Morgan Russell and Stanton MacDonald-Wright, as well as the pioneer European abstract painter Frantisek Kupka. The impending war prompted Robus to leave in May 1914 for New York, where he located his studio in Greenwich Village. Soon after his return to the United States he spent time traveling between his native Cleveland and California, and in November 1914 the artist had his first solo exhibition at the Gage Gallery of Fine Arts in Cleveland, Paintings from Europe and California. Dissatisfied with his painting, Robus devoted himself from 1920 onwards to modernist figural sculpture, in which he focused on the female body abstracted with flowing graceful contours and polished surfaces, and lengthened or distorted to suggest movement. "[The Sleeper and Bathers (lot 68025)], ranging in date from about 1914 to 1917, provide an illustrative range of the Cubist, Futurist, and Synchromist explorations that occupied the artist following his return to New York and up until the time he forsook painting for sculpture. Notably, the most successful are [his] works that focus on the female nude, which would become the central subject of the mature artist's sculpture...Stylistically, The Sleeper is the picture closest to Synchromism, but here the artist has utilized Synchromist elements to his own figural ends, creating a modern Michelangelesque body whose powerful forms and expressive pose are convincingly evoked by the diaphanous diamond facets flickering over and around it. Bathers likewise looks to the artist's sculpture, though in different ways. The broad smooth curves of the figures and sense of flowing movement in, between, and around them develop Robus's Futurist concerns into a new idiom that would be extended into his sculptural oeuvre. Noteworthy is the inherent sense of monumentality that these simplified, yet lush athletic forms possess as they occupy the curved niches and overall space of the small canvas. One might compare their simultaneous grace and strength with the same features found in certain nudes by Arthur B. Davies or in the vigorous forms the great master Matisse would paint fifteen years later in his versions of the mural Dance" (P.S. Cable, Modern American Painting 1907-1936: The Maria and Barry King Collection, exhibition catalogue, El Paso, Texas, 2013, pp. 110-12).
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