The Nijinsky Hare

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Contemporary art must attract the public eyes from far away. The statues should be large and bizarre. The British sculptor Barry Flanagan has specialized in anthropomorphic hares.

In nature, this animal dances, jumps, spins, starts in every direction, is elusive ... as Nijinsky was one hundred years ago. The Nijinsky Hare of Flanagan, in bronze, 2.44 m high, designed in 1985, is a contortionist. Its long ears look like a glider, and he raises its leg like a French cancan dancer.

On 17 November 2006, Christie's had estimated at £ 200 K a copy of gray-green patina. The price reached 620 K £ including premium.

Sotheby's knows that one price is not enough to establish a value. For another copy, let us start with a reasonable £ 180 K, in London on June 26. As in the fable of the hare and the tortoise, this bronze whimsical character did not come to push the door of the prestige auction sale, which takes place the night before.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Very good result for this bronze, K £ 505 premium included, confirming that the high price recorded by Christie's in 2006 was no accident. Moreover, the price of an object at auction is never a chance in the opinion that I am working to assess.