"18th Century Bronze Lion After A Model By Bouchardon"
Bronze sitting lion, after Bouchardon.
France, second half of the 18th century.
Bronze very heavy, maybe a solid cast.
Total height: 18.5 cm. // Total length: 22 cm // Total width: 15.5 cm
Total weight : 7.250kg
An ancient restoration at the tail.
Reassembled on a modern marble base (13 x 20 x 3.1 cm), two chips on the corners (see photos).
This lion is strongly inspired by a model created by Edme Bouchardon (1698 - 1762) and exhibited at the 1737 Salon. The Athlete Taming a Lion was particularly noted at the Salon and was disseminated through engraving. The Lion offered here was probably cast in the second half of the 18th century, inspired by this model.
Bibliography :
Paris 2003, De Pigalle à Canova, terres cuites européennes 1740-1840, p. 133 and following.
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato