Wilhelm Schimmel (1817-1890)

Helen Janssen Wetzel, Spring Township, Pennsylvania
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "Property from the Collection of the Late Helen Janssen Wetzel Volume I: Important English and Continental Furniture and Related Decorative Arts," September 30, 1980, lot 1764

''The Shape of Things: Folk Sculpture from Two Centuries," American Folk Art Museum, 1983

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 166, fig. 130

Paint appears to be in intact condition.
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.

The lion, long a symbol of strength, courage, and royalty in many cultures, may have had particular meaning for Schimmel. In Carlisle he was repeatedly accused of intimidating the children and townspeople by "staggering up the street and roaring like a lion" during episodes of public drunkenness.

This example of the king of beasts, with its erect, frontal stance, roughly carved mane, and looped tail, is similar in form and execution to one of the only other lions attributed to the carver. Both examples survive relatively untouched and document Schimmel's technique of coating the finished carving with a thin layer of gesso-like plaster, which served as a priming layer for his colorful painted surfaces and details. As with his other carvings, pigments appear to have been common household oil paints, probably salvaged from discarded cans or leftovers found in his travels or given to the artist by his friends. The base of this lion and those of a number of Schimmel's other carvings retain the character and circular-sawn kerf marks of these milled lumber scraps. Their thickness and dimensions often determined the size and stance. -J.L.L.