AUGUSTE RODIN (1840-1917) and the COMPAGNIE DES... Lot 31

AUGUSTE RODIN (1840-1917) and the COMPAGNIE DES BRONZES DE BRUXELLES Bust of young girl representing Suzon by Auguste Rodin in biscuit (often wrongly attributed to Sèvres). Indented signature "A. RODIN. " on the right edge. Circular pedestal in gilt bronze resting on a square base in green marble. Cartel on the front of the marble: "SUZON SCULPT. RODIN " Originally designed in 1872, this model was probably executed between 1896 and 1939 by the Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles._ Dimensions: Height of the bust: 28.5 cm Total height: 40 cm  Small splinters on the left side of the marble base. In 1871, Auguste Rodin went to Brussels at the request of his master, Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887), in order to participate in the work of the Bourse de Commerce, but their association did not last long. Rodin began to produce works of a decorative nature and in 1872 he executed the bust of Suzon (plasterwork dating from 1872 kept in the Rodin Museum, Paris), which was very much influenced by Carrier-Belleuse during his stay in Belgium. In November 1875, he sold the marble bust of Suzon and the plaster model to the Compagnie des Bronzes de Bruxelles, founders and publishers, and at the same time gave up the reproduction rights. This company publishes it in several materials including bisque and in several sizes: the original size which is the largest, two reductions from 1880 in view of the craze for the bust and two other reductions in 1893. But it was really from 1896 onwards that the biscuit fashion superseded that of bronze and this model was so successful that in 1939, A. Bernard-Lyon, a publisher of fine art bronzes based at 55 rue des Archives in Paris, took over the edition on his own account in return for the payment of a premium to the Compagnie des Bronzes on the sale of each copy. Our bisque bust is the largest of the five models and can be compared to those kept at the Brooklyn Museum of art in New York (i