- 69
Rembrandt Bugatti
Estimate
1,500,000 - 2,000,000 USD
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Description
- Lion et lionne de Nubie
- Signed R. Bugatti and stamped with the foundry mark CIRE PERDUE AA HÉBRARD and numbered 7
- Bronze
- Length: 50 5/8 in.
- 128.5 cm
Provenance
Nico Borsje, Paris.
Acquired from the above in July 1976
Literature
M. Harvey, The Bronzes of Rembrandt Bugatti, Ascot, 1979, p. 31 (illustration of another cast pl. 17)
Philippe Dejean, Carlo, Rembrandt, Ettore, Jean Bugatti, New York, 1982, p. 148
Jacques Chalom des Cordes & Véronique Fromanger des Cordes, Rembrandt Bugatti, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1987, illustration of another cast
Edward Horswell, Rembrandt Bugatti - Life in Sculpture, London, 2004, pp. 182-183
Véronique Fromanger Des Cordes, Rembrandt Bugatti Sculpteur - Répertoire Monographique - Une Trajectoire Foudroyante, Paris, 2010, no. 230, p. 309
Condition
The sculpture is in very good condition. It displays a uniform brown patina. No significant scratches or abrasions were noted on the surface. The sculpture appears structurally sound.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Bugatti's impressive rendering of the mighty lion and lioness captures the animals in all their majesty. The animals stand with a poise befitting the regality of the master of the jungle. Bugatti has paid careful attention to modeling the perfectly groomed mane of the lion, which frames the animal's face in angular planes, and the well-defined musculature of his haunches. Although he was grounded in realism perhaps more than any other avant-garde artist of his day, the angular modeling of the figure does call to mind the aesthetic of Cubism, which was in full bloom in Paris around the time that Bugatti sculpted this impressive group.
Bugatti was unique among modernist sculptors in focusing on depictions of wild animals. So fascinated was he by this subject that he worked primarily outdoors at the Jardin Zoologique in Antwerp, after moving to the city in 1907, so that he could study the nuances of animal behavior. He rendered his figures in plastiline, a typical Italian modeling clay, using strokes of his thumbs, and working with the Hébrard foundry under the aid of chief founder Albino Palazzolo, who cast the finished works in bronze. The present sculpture was cast in an edition of seven at the Hébrard foundry between 1921 and around 1934.
A sub-species of the Panthera leo, the Nubian Lion is extinct in the wild, with only 40 believed to be in captivity in present-day Europe. Also known as the Barbery or Atlas Lion, it is believed to be the largest of the entire species. Bugatti must have been impressed by the sheer magnitude of the animal. In contrast to his snarling Grand Tiger, he did not choose to render the animal here with any additional signs of ferocity, perhaps considering that its presence alone is enough to convey its might.
Edward Horswell has written the following about Bugatti's Nubian lions, particularly calling attention to their regal presence: "Sharing something of the brilliant stylization of Bugatti's Anteater and Baboon, these works have a majesty and poignancy that mark them amongst Bugatti's 'stand-alone' masterpieces. The almost robotic power of the female (the principal hunter in lion society), and the heavy vigilance of the male, evoke a mesmerizing presence, close to that of a carved King and Queen from Ancient Egypt. The psychological depth of Bugatti's animals has never been equaled. At the same time they stand as authoritative and unsentimental statements of anatomical observation, documentary record and aesthetic accomplishment" (Edward Horswell, Rembrandt Bugatti - Life in Sculpture, London, 2004, pp. 182).
Bugatti was unique among modernist sculptors in focusing on depictions of wild animals. So fascinated was he by this subject that he worked primarily outdoors at the Jardin Zoologique in Antwerp, after moving to the city in 1907, so that he could study the nuances of animal behavior. He rendered his figures in plastiline, a typical Italian modeling clay, using strokes of his thumbs, and working with the Hébrard foundry under the aid of chief founder Albino Palazzolo, who cast the finished works in bronze. The present sculpture was cast in an edition of seven at the Hébrard foundry between 1921 and around 1934.
A sub-species of the Panthera leo, the Nubian Lion is extinct in the wild, with only 40 believed to be in captivity in present-day Europe. Also known as the Barbery or Atlas Lion, it is believed to be the largest of the entire species. Bugatti must have been impressed by the sheer magnitude of the animal. In contrast to his snarling Grand Tiger, he did not choose to render the animal here with any additional signs of ferocity, perhaps considering that its presence alone is enough to convey its might.
Edward Horswell has written the following about Bugatti's Nubian lions, particularly calling attention to their regal presence: "Sharing something of the brilliant stylization of Bugatti's Anteater and Baboon, these works have a majesty and poignancy that mark them amongst Bugatti's 'stand-alone' masterpieces. The almost robotic power of the female (the principal hunter in lion society), and the heavy vigilance of the male, evoke a mesmerizing presence, close to that of a carved King and Queen from Ancient Egypt. The psychological depth of Bugatti's animals has never been equaled. At the same time they stand as authoritative and unsentimental statements of anatomical observation, documentary record and aesthetic accomplishment" (Edward Horswell, Rembrandt Bugatti - Life in Sculpture, London, 2004, pp. 182).