Rembrandt Bugatti
Léopard au repos [Leopard at rest]
1911-1925

About the Item

Rembrandt Bugatti Léopard au repos [Leopard at rest] Lost-wax cast bronze, blackish-brown patina 31,5 x 49 x 13,5 cm Signed on the base with foundryman’s stamp (A. A. [Hébrard]) Despite the sculpture’s title, Léopard au repos [Leopard at rest], a considerable tension subtends the metal. The noble creature is on high alert, standing to attention as if sensing its prey. A barely contained thew struggles within the material bounds of the bronze, a formidable physical strength that threatens to erupt at any moment. The loosely worked surface of this powerful sculpture trembles with life. Specific features are suggested, but never fully realised. Details yield to compositional coherence. Light plays over the undulating planes of metal, alternating sharply between dark and light. Upon approach, the surface appears irregular and textured: fingerprints are everywhere, evoking animal hair and emphasizing the artist’s presence, serving thus as a final signature. This natural, almost random quality reminds us of the living, breathing animal that inspired this work. The dark bronze, furthermore, is a source of mystery – from a distance, the sculpture resembles a silhouette. Yet the sculpture is also marvellously static, characterized by a refined calm. In some ways, the animal echoes monuments of reclining lions and sphinxes around the world. Its majestic appearance does, however, emerge more psychologically complex: by depicting his leopard upright, Bugatti invests in him a certain agency, of which purely decorative animal sculptures are deprived. It is as much a portrait as an ornament. Like his namesake, Rembrandt Bugatti was gifted with a rare ability to capture the essence of his subjects.

Creator:
Rembrandt Bugatti (1885-1916, Italian)
Creation Year:
1911-1925
Dimensions:
Height: 12.41 in (31.5 cm)Width: 19.3 in (49 cm)Depth: 5.32 in (13.5 cm)
Medium:
Bronze
Period:
1910-1919
Condition:
Gallery Location:
PARIS, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2003210338232
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