2851 - Arno Breker (1900, Elberfeld – 1991, Düsseldorf)

Arno Breker (1900, Elberfeld – 1991, Düsseldorf) Dancer (Rudolf Nureyev?) Bronze, with a dark patina. Signed "A. BREKER"; foundry mark "COLIN." Anthracite-colored stone base. A fully three-dimensional depiction of a ballet dancer in an energetic leap to the left, striking a dynamic, taut pose—his body turned to the side, his left leg sharply bent, his right leg extended, his arms raised at a wide angle upward and backward, his head tilted in a counter-movement to his right arm. A very rare bronze sculpture by the artist, likely cast in only a small or very limited edition. Breker rarely explored the theme of dance. This bronze is likely a depiction of Rudolf Nureyev (1938–1993), who is considered one of the finest dancers of the 20th century and the greatest male star of classical ballet in the latter half of that century. Nureyev posed for Breker in Paris in 1974; Breker sketched him and produced two lithographs based on those sketches (printed by Fernand Mourlot). Bronze height: 28.8 cm. Total height: 32 cm. Total width: 39.5 cm. Total depth: 19 cm. Dark-patinated bronze. Signed “A. BREKER”; foundry stamp “COLIN.” Anthracite-colored stone base.