Busacca Gallery

Large Jet-Black Corinthian Italian Marble “King Penguin & Son” By Renowned Sculptor José Sancho. Weighing approximately 300 pounds, this substantial work of art would make a dramatic statement in a luxury lobby, executive office, living room, or other sophisticated interior. Imagine it displayed on a beautiful black pedestal behind a sofa or in a prominent entryway where its scale and presence can be fully appreciated. Price: call for a quote. This is an exceptional opportunity to acquire a truly impressive sculpture at an extraordinary price. The original owner paid $15,000 for this piece approximately 20 years ago, making the current negotiable asking price a remarkable value. The owner is highly motivated to sell. About the Sculpture — 1988 “Penguin and Son” is a large sculpture crafted from premium Italian black marble by renowned Costa Rican sculptor José Sancho. Sancho is internationally recognized for his distinctive sculptures created from materials including metal, granite, black marble, white marble, and pink marble, with many of his works produced in Italy. This sculpture was originally purchased in Costa Rica directly from the celebrated artist José Sancho, who remains an active artist today. The “Penguin and Son” sculpture combines the beauty and natural character of black marble with Sancho’s distinctive sculptural language. The penguin figure stands approximately 2.11 feet tall, while the accompanying torso element, carved from wood, stands approximately 3.25 feet tall. Born in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, on April 18, José Sancho is particularly known for sculptures that capture the subtle gestures, attitudes, movements, and personalities of animals. His work explores the natural behavior of these creatures, their relationship with their environment, and the fundamental forces of life. Sancho’s artistic philosophy is rooted in a pursuit of honesty, simplicity, and clarity, both in his representation of nature and in his observations of human behavior. His sculptures possess a distinctive combination of strength, elegance, and organic movement. Our Commitment At Busacca Gallery, we are dedicated to enhancing our customers’ lives by discovering, curating, and showcasing exceptional art from around the world. We are taste-makers, art advisors, consultants, and publishers of compelling art stories. Our mission is to serve as a trusted intermediary between discerning art buyers and sellers, carefully vetting the artwork we present to our patrons. We strive to identify, document, and catalog some of the world’s most exceptional works of art and share their stories with a global audience. This remarkable José Sancho sculpture represents an opportunity to own a substantial and highly distinctive work of art at a fraction of its original purchase price.

José Sancho is a Costa Rican sculptor who is known for his work that explores nature and the human form. His work is characterized by simplicity and is inspired by artists such as Picasso and Brancusi. Sancho uses a variety of materials, including wood, granite, marble, bronze, iron plates, and found objects. Key Milestones in José Sancho's Career: 1958: Graduated with a degree in economics from the University of Costa Rica, where he was recognized as the top student. 1962: Moved to Guatemala City to work as an economist at the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA). 1965: Received a scholarship from the Italian Reconstruction Institute, earning a postgraduate degree in industrial economics in Rome, Italy. 1968: Moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as an international civil servant at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). 1970: Published his book Unión económica y aduanera: su coincidencia necesaria (Economic and Customs Union: A Necessary Coincidence), EDUCA. 1971: Returned to Costa Rica, working as an advisor in economics, finance, and management. 1973: Held his first amateur exhibition of paintings at the exhibit hall of La Nación newspaper. 1974: Created his first sculpture, Alacrán (Scorpion), using scrap iron, inspired by Pablo Picasso’s Bull’s Head. Held his first sculpture exhibit using scrap materials in the gardens of the National Theatre, San José. 1975: Created his first monumental work, Fish Escape, in Chacarita, Puntarenas (now lost). Displayed his work in the gardens of the National Museum of Costa Rica. 1976: Produced another monumental work, Pelican Flock, in Limón (also lost). Exhibited at the gardens of the Central Bank of Costa Rica. Awarded the Golden Anchor Award by La Nación newspaper. 1977: Exhibited at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica. Made his first study trip to Tirgu-Jiu, Romania, to explore the works of Constantin Brancusi, his primary inspiration. Visited Carrara, Italy, to learn marble and granite sculpting techniques. 1978: Created his first bronze pieces in Mexico at Mario Aguirre’s atelier. Awarded the Gold Medal for his work Hummingbird at the Annual Art Salon organized by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture. 1980: Received an Honorary Mention at the Sculpture Salon by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture. Held his first exhibit of wood and stone sculptures at the National Museum of Costa Rica. 1982: Abandoned economics to fully devote himself to sculpture. 1983: Exhibited at the Central Bank Museums and the Costa Rican Art Museum. Won First Prize in a contest organized by the Costa Rican Art Museum and the Argentine Embassy. 1984: Published the book José Sancho, Sculptures through Costa Rica Press. Argentine critic and poet Rafael Squirru referenced him in 49 Artists of the Americas. 1985: Exhibited at the Central Bank Museums. Traveled to Pietrasanta, Italy, to work with bronze at Giuseppe Belfiore’s atelier. Awarded the National Aquileo Echeverría Prize by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Culture. 1987: Exhibited at the Central Bank Museums and was invited by the Israeli government to create a sculpture now displayed in the gardens of the City Hall of Israel. 1988: Received an Honorary Mention at the Francisco Amighetti Experimental Art Contest at the Costa Rican-American Cultural Centre. 1989: Exhibited at the Maison de l’Amérique Latine in Paris, France, and at the National Theatre Enrique Echandi Gallery. 1990: Participated in the sculpture exhibit at the Museum of Art of the Americas in Washington, D.C., with his monumental wood piece Great School of Fish. 1991: Invited by the Artists Union of the Soviet Union to create a stone sculpture for the sculpture garden of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. 1992: Began working at the Nicoli atelier in Carrara, Italy. 1993: Showed his Fauna collection, consisting of 62 pieces, at the Museum of Costa Rican Art. 1994: Began constructing his sculpture garden at his home-atelier in Escazú, Costa Rica. 1995: Exhibited Torsos at the Capris building in San José, with further exhibitions in West Palm Beach, Brussels, and Ontario. 1996: Created Epitome of Flight, installed at the Supreme Electoral Bench Headquarters in San José. 1997: Awarded the Grand Prize at the III Biennial Sculpture contest organized by Costa Rica Brewery for his work Bosque. Published his book José Sancho 1975-1997 through Lehmann Press. 2001: Exhibited at the National Theatre’s Enrique Echandi Gallery and published his work Sculpture Variations through LIL S.A. Press. 2002-2004: Worked on monumental abstract sculptures, including installations like Arboriforme I, II, and III, which are displayed in public spaces such as EARTH University and the gardens of the Central Bank. Our Commitment. We are dedicated to enhancing our customers’ lives by discovering, curating, and showcasing only the finest art from around the world. We are taste-makers, art advisors, consultants, and publishers of spectacular art stories. Our mission is to act as intermediaries between high-end art buyers and sellers, carefully vetting artwork for our patrons. We strive to catalog the world’s most exceptional art and share it with a global audience.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Penguin

The King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is the second largest species of penguin at 70 to 100 cm tall and weighs 11 to 16 kg (24 to 35 lb). In size it is second only to the Emperor Penguin. There are two subspecies—A. p. patagonicus and A. p. halli; patagonicus is found in the South Atlantic and halli elsewhere.



King Penguins eat small fish, mainly lanternfish, and squid and rely less than most Southern Ocean predators on krill and other crustaceans. On foraging trips they repeatedly dive to over 100 metres (330 ft), and have been recorded at depths greater than 300 metres (980 ft).



King Penguins breed on the subantarctic islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica, South Georgia, and other temperate islands of the region.



King Penguins breed on subantarctic islands between 45 and 55°S, at the northern reaches of Antarctica, as well as Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, and other temperate islands of the region. The total population is estimated to be 2.23 million pairs and is increasing. The largest breeding populations are on Crozet Island, with around 455,000 pairs, 228,000 pairs on the Prince Edward Islands, 240,000–280,000 on the Kerguelen Islands and over 100,000 in the South Georgia archipelago. Macquarie Island has around 70,000 pairs. The non-breeding range is poorly known due to vagrant birds having been recorded from the Antarctic peninsula as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.



The Nature Protection Society released King Penguins in Gjesvær in Finnmark, and Røst in Lofoten in northern Norway in August 1936. Birds were reported in the area several times in the 1940s though none have been seen since 1949.