Rembrandt BUGATTI (1884-1916) - Lot 92

Lot 92
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250000 - 350000 EUR
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Rembrandt BUGATTI (1884-1916) - Lot 92
Rembrandt BUGATTI (1884-1916) Reclining Lioness Yawning (circa 1903-1904) Bronze proof with green-brown patina. Foundry stamp "Cire perdue AA Hébrard". Signed and located on the terrace "R Bugatti Paris". 28 x 54 x 23 cm Resting on a marble base. Related bibliography : Véronique Fromanger, Rembrandt Bugatti sculpteur, monographic repertory, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2009, model listed on p. 273, number 47. reprint (Proof not specified). Five examples are listed to date, one of which is in the collection collection of the famous French actor Alain Delon. Alain Delon. A certificate from Véronique Fromanger will be given to the buyer. buyer. Provenance : - Collection P.G. - From the latter's descendants. Between 1903 and 1908, Rembrandt Bugatti discovered and extensively studied the wild animals in the Menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes. Having initially devoted himself to domestic and farm animals, Bugatti now turned his attention to wild species, "continuing the cycle of the great beasts". He observed his models at length in the various zoos he visited, and his working method - free-hand modeling, without tools, without preparatory sketches - helped him capture his models' attitudes with accuracy and spontaneity. Self-taught, the sculptor captures the strength and movement of this fauna and inscribes it in bronze. Born in Milan, Rembrandt Bugatti was also the brother of Ettore Bugatti, the brilliant and famous automobile designer. World War I broke out, and Rembrandt's works were no longer sold, as the animals were killed for their flesh.... The sculptor committed suicide in 1916. In tribute to his brother, Ettore uses the elephant as a car cap. This bronze print captures a moment of great simplicity: a lioness lying down, yawning. Bugatti chooses an intimate, almost familiar moment in the life of an animal majestic animal. Mouth open in the elongation of the yawn, the feline's fangs appear. The front legs are elegantly crossed, revealing a strong musculature. This suggests the power of the lioness, abandoning herself in an everyday gesture that is both human and animal at the same time. The modeling is supple, almost tactile: Bugatti works the surface with striations, rapid strokes that express the movement of the skin and the vibration of the muscles. The folds in the animal's back are particularly successful. The pose, both simple and unexpected, reveals the sculptor's deeply empathetic approach to animals. Bugatti spent a great deal of time observing the wild beasts at the Jardin des Plantes, seeking to capture not only their anatomy, but also their behavior, mood and breathing. In this yawning lioness, he captures a universal, almost human gesture, creating a closeness between viewer and animal. The yawn becomes a bridge between species: we read in this opening of the mouth not a threat, but a gentle fatigue, a relaxation. The composition, compact and balanced, gives the sculpture a strong presence despite the apparent banality of the gesture. The bronze, patinated in warm or dark tones depending on the edition, accentuates the sensual yet robust character of the piece. The work testifies to Bugatti's desire to represent animals in their simplest truth, far removed from the usual heroic or moralizing symbols. La Lionne bâillant is a work that combines careful observation, emotional sensitivity and technical virtuosity. A sculptor capable of transforming an ordinary moment in animal life into a profoundly poetic scene. Rembrandt Bugatti is the narrator of animal psychologies.
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