Lot 61: Joseph Mendes da Costa (Dutch, 1863-1939)

Sick monkey with eyes closed
signed with monogram (on the reverse)
grès ceramics
20 cm. high
Conceived circa 1900 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).

Acquired from the legacy of Professor Steinmetz by the father of the present owner.

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 charge a premium to the buyer on the final bid price of each lot sold at the following rates: 23.8% of the final bid price of each lot sold up to and including €150,000 and 14.28% of any amount in excess of €150,000. Buyers' premium is calculated on the basis of each lot individually.