Material Patinated bronze
Dimensions 16,125 × 26.75 × 8,625 in
Place of Creation Paris, France
Price Price Upon Inquiry
Status Vetted

About the Work

Signed: R. Bugatti Cire Perdue A.A. Hebrard 5


Conceived circa 1909–10 at the height of Rembrandt Bugatti’s career, Lionne de Nubie exemplifies the sculptor’s unmatched sensitivity to the majesty and presence of big cats. Bugatti’s direct, in-situ observation—made possible by his use of pliable plastilina clay—allowed him to capture animals with extraordinary accuracy, expression, and psychological depth, distinguishing his work from the more conventional practices of 19th-century animaliers. Originally modeled as a companion to a male Nubian lion, the lioness was later cast as an independent sculpture, her poised stance embodying both quiet grace and formidable power. A member of the now-extinct-in-the-wild Panthera leo sub-species, the Nubian lion inspired Bugatti with its imposing scale, which he conveys here without resorting to overt ferocity. Instead, the lioness’s presence alone communicates her might.


Balancing timeless naturalism with a discreet modern stylization—an aesthetic inflected by the design innovations of his celebrated family—Bugatti renders the “queen of the jungle” with regal clarity. As Edward Horswell notes, Bugatti’s Nubian lions possess a “majesty and poignancy” that place them among his definitive masterpieces, merging anatomical precision, emotional resonance, and sculptural authority.

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Provenance

Private collection, United States.
The Sladmore Gallery, London (1996).
Private collection, New York (1997).
The Sladmore Gallery, London (2010).
Acquired from the above by the present owner, September 2011.
Christie's 18980 La Ménagerie Lot 616 : 4 Dec 2020

Literature

P. Dejean, Carlo-Rembrandt-Ettore-Jean Bugatti, Paris, 1981, p. 160 (another cast illustrated).
J.-C. des Cordes and V. Fromanger, Rembrandt Bugatti: Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1987, pp. 246-247 (another cast illustrated; titled Lionne d'Afrique).
E. Horswell, Rembrandt Bugatti: Life in Sculpture, London, 2004, pp. 13 and 181 (detail of another cast illustrated in color, p. 12; other casts illustrated in color, pp. 182-183).
V. Fromanger, Rembrandt Bugatti sculpteur: Répertoire monographique, Paris, 2009, pp. 309-310, no. 232 (another cast illustrated, pp. 175 and 309).
V. Fromanger, Rembrandt Bugatti sculpteur: Répertoire monographique, Paris, 2016, p. 343, no. 236 (another cast illustrated in color).

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