Rembrandt Bugatti "Lionne de Nubie" Bronze Sculpture
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.
Item #: YB-22065
Artist: Rembrandt Bugatti
Country: France
Circa: Conceived circa 1909-1910 and cast by 1934
Dimensions: 16.125" height, 26.75" width, 8.625" depth.
Materials: Patinated Bronze
Signed: R. Bugatti Cire Perdue A.A. Hebrard 5
Provenance: Galerie A. A. Hébrard, Paris (before 1934)
Public sale, Maître Patrick Gauthier, Belfort, May 24, 1987, lot 60
Private collection, France
Sotheby’s Paris, sale PF1314, November 2013, lot 19
Private collection, Salt Lake City.
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).
Item #: YB-22065
Artist: Rembrandt Bugatti
Country: France
Circa: Conceived circa 1909-1910 and cast by 1934
Dimensions: 16.125" height, 26.75" width, 8.625" depth.
Materials: Patinated Bronze
Signed: R. Bugatti Cire Perdue A.A. Hebrard 5
Provenance: Galerie A. A. Hébrard, Paris (before 1934)
Public sale, Maître Patrick Gauthier, Belfort, May 24, 1987, lot 60
Private collection, France
Sotheby’s Paris, sale PF1314, November 2013, lot 19
Private collection, Salt Lake City.
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).
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.
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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