Hanneke Beaumont, Three Men on a Bench, bronze sculpture circa 1995. Image courtesy of LiveAuctineers

ART AUCTION

Sculpture of ‘Three Men on Bench’ by Beaumont Reveals passion for human figure and experience

BY KAZAD

Hanneke Beaumont, Three Men on a Bench, bronze sculpture. Detail. Image courtesy of LiveAuctineers

NEW YORK, NY. – LiveAuctineers recently auctioned Three Men on a Beach, a bronze sculpture by Dutch-born sculptor Hanneke Beaumont. Rendered in the artist’s familiar contemplative mood, the bronze outdoor figural group depicts three seated men. The three men look disheveled, and they have very minimal clothing with no shoes on. From their haunting facial expressions etched by age and deprivation, it is clear that these men have gone through some hard times. Their body language shows a high level on anxiety and anticipation. The question is “Who are they waiting for?”

Created around 1995, Three Men on a Beach explicates Beaumont’s passion of exploring the human figure to express and address grand issues of human conditions. Working in terra-cotta clay, cast iron and bronze, the artist has remained steadfast in using her work to address human experiences, a tradition that seem to have gone extinct in the postmodern era.

Although the figures of the Three Men on a Bench do not appear to be portraits of particular individuals, there is something so familiar about them and their experiences. Modeled after idealized human forms with physically approximations of human beings, it is not surprising that many people give them human attributions.

Three Men on a Bench which was situated on an estate in Greenwich Connecticut had a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-of -$20,000. On May 15, there was a life exhibition and all those interested in the bronze sculpture of the Three Men on a Beach gathered to have a through look at the sculpture. The exhibition of the bronze sculpture was by appointment only.

Soon after the private exhibition, collectors around the globe began to bid on the bronze sculpture through absentee and internet live bidding through LiveAuctineers. The sculpture was sold for $60,000.

After the auction, the successful bidder was given 14 days to remove the bronze sculpture of the Three Men on a Beach and also provide appropriate insurance. Although the name of the buyer has not been released, it is expected that the bronze sculpture will find a good home.

Artist Biography

Born in Maastricht (Netherlands), Hanneke Beaumont has made a name for herself with her exceptional realistic bronze sculptures that can be found across the globe. One of her emblematic sculptures titled Stepping Forward can be found in front of the headquarters of the European Union Council in Brussels.  The sculpture is almost 20 feet tall.   Another of her exceptional sculptures can be found in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It was installed after the second Exposiciòn Internacional de Esculturas en la Calle where Beaumont sculpture featured prominently. The exposition was organized by the Collegio de Arquitectos de Canarias in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Beaumont first studied at the académie de Braine l’Alleud, and later attended Ecole Nationale Supérieure de La Cambre where she studied sculpture. She also attended Hogere Rijksschool voor Beeldende Kunsten in Anderlecht.

After her first solo exhibition in 1983, Beaumont came to limelight when her sculpture group Le Courage won the major award of the Centre International d’Art Contemporain Château Beychevelle.

Since winning that award, the artist has continued to make great impact in the global art circuit. Beaumont has not only built an international reputation for herself, her sculptures can be found in public and private collections across the world. Her work has also been exhibited worldwide including in the US, Canada, UK, Europe and more recently Asia and India. In 2013 her sculptures featured in two major museum shows in the USA. The first was at the Frederik Meijers Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids (Michigan). It was followed by another exhibition at the Baker Museum in Naples (Florida).

Beaumont is a prolific artist and she is always captivated by new ways of expressing human mannerisms and communicating emotions. Her sculptures are very emotive, and emphasis the inherent power and relevance of figurative sculpture.

There is a general love of process and materials. Although many of her sculptures are cast in bronze or iron, she evidently has a passion for working in clay. The result is the truthfulness of her figures which are enhanced by their rugged quality. Just like Three Men on a Bench, many of Beaumont’s sculptures are tangible.   Even with their raw surfaces, they are splendid.

Early this year, the Beaumont acquired a 17th century warehouse as studio in Middelburg (Netherlands). The size of the new studio allows her to create new works as well as expand her oeuvres. She presently shares her work time between her new studio and Pietrasanta, (Italy).

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