Lot 501: Joseph Mendes da Costa (Dutch, 1863-1939)

Ziek aapje met ogen gesloten
signed with monogram and dated '1903' (on the reverse)
brown and light brown grès ceramics
20 cm. high.
Conceived in 1903 in an unknown edition.

Utrecht, Centraal Museum, Mendes da Costa, November 1963 (ill. of another version)

Kunstschrift XLI (1997), no. 1 (Joseph Mendes da Costa special), p. 38, no. 53 a (ill. of another version)
Exh.cat. Laren, Singer Museum, Leven in een verzameling, Toegepaste kunst 1890-1940, 14 March - 12 June 2000, p. 137, cat.no. 151 (ill.)

Collection Meentwijck, Bussum.

Jan Teeuwisse writes about Mendes da Costa as an animalier: 'Although it is not always easy to draw a line between his applied and sculptural animals, considering the similar, flat-ornamental compositions, his free sculpture stands out by a stronger expressiviness in the characterisation of the subject. The Seated Monkey, covered in a cloth from 1899, the Sick Monkey dated circa 1900, the Baby from around 1901 en the Mandrill from 1910 are the best examples of this.' The Sick Monkey is a typical example of what Teeuwisse calls 'drama on a square meter, represented in Mendes' small sculptures of monkeys which play a leading part in his animal work (see J. Teeuwisse in 'Aan de wieg van de Nederlandse dierplastiek', Kunstschrift opcit p. 43)

Another version can be found in the Groninger Museum, Groningen.

Christie's charges a Buyer's premium calculated at 23.205% of the hammer price for each lot with a value up to €110,000. If the hammer price of a lot exceeds €110,000 then the premium for the lot is calculated at 23.205% of the first €110,000 plus 11.9% of any amount in excess of €110,000. Buyer's Premium is calculated on this basis for each lot individually.