Lot 62: Joseph Mendes da Costa (Dutch, 1863-1939)

St. Francis of Assisi
signed with monogram and dated '1911' (on the bronze base) and stamped with foundrymark 'J. Petermann St.Gilles-Bruxelles' (on the edge of the bronze base)
bronze with a light brown patina
28 cm. high (excl. the wooden base)
Conceived in 1911 and cast in an edition of circa twelve.

Beeldende Kunst, IV(1917), vol. 5, no. 40 (another cast ill.)
A.M. Hammacher, Mendes da Costa, de geestelijke boodschap der beeldhouwkunst, Rotterdam 1941, p.43, no. 32 (another cast ill.)
F. de Miranda, Mendes da Costa - Jessurun de Mesquita, Nederlandse Beeldende kunstenaars - Joden in verstrooiing, Wassenaar 1978, p.91, no. 44 (another cast ill.)
Kunstschrift, XLI (1997), no. 1 (Joseph Mendes da Costa special), p. 34, no. 48 (ill. of another cast).
Exh. cat. Laren, Singermuseum, Leven in een verzameling; Toegepaste kunst 1890-1940 uit de collectie Meentwijck, Zwolle 2000, p.170, no. 194 (another cast ill.).

Acquired from H.P. Bremmer by the previous owners.

The present statue was part of four bronzes the artist executed in commission for H.P. Bremmer. Both men admired Saint Francis greatly. According to H.P. Bremmer's wife Mrs. Aleida Bremmer-Beekhuis, her husband admired him so much because 'die de heele schone wereld dankbaar genoot als een geschenk van de schepper. Bremmer zag in hem de eersten ware Renaissance-geest omdat hij het aardsche niet afwees als eene verhindering om zich tot het spriritueele op te heffen.' (See: J.M. Joosten, 'De Leidsche tijd van H.P. Bremmer', Leids Jaarboekje, 1970, p. 84.)

Other casts can be found in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.

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