Carved Marble Model of the Lion of Lucerne

Name: Carved Marble Model of the Lion of Lucerne
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1123099
Availability: SoldOut

19th century

Sold by Christopher Buck Antiques Ltd.

Description

A superb hand hewn model after the original designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn by Lukas Ahorn in 1821.

This version is skillfully and beatifully modelled in a soft honey coloured marble that almost appears transparent and is mounted on a modern black granite base with white flecks.

(Repaired break mid body where at some stage it has been in half. The clean break has been expertly repaired by simply joining the two pieces together without need for any filler or other camoflage. Only visible on close inspection).

The Lion Monument, of the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by about 1.4 million tourists. In 2006, it was placed under Swiss monument protection.

American author Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

Physical Dimensions

Height

23.5cm (9.25")

Width

45cm (17.72")

Depth

17.5cm (6.89")

Declaration

Christopher Buck Antiques Ltd. has dated this piece to the 1870s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1123099

Dealers Internal Reference

400341

Description

A superb hand hewn model after the original designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn by Lukas Ahorn in 1821.

“

This version is skillfully and beatifully modelled in a soft honey coloured marble that almost appears transparent and is mounted on a modern black granite base with white flecks.

Christopher Buck Antiques Ltd.

fig 1. Carved Marble model of the Lion of Lucerne — fig 1. Carved Marble Model of the Lion of Lucerne

(Repaired break mid body where at some stage it has been in half. The clean break has been expertly repaired by simply joining the two pieces together without need for any filler or other camoflage. Only visible on close inspection).

fig 2. Carved Marble model of the Lion of Lucerne — fig 2. Carved Marble Model of the Lion of Lucerne

The Lion Monument, of the Lion of Lucerne, is a rock relief in Lucerne, Switzerland, designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and hewn in 1820–21 by Lukas Ahorn. It commemorates the Swiss Guards who were killed in 1792 during the French Revolution, when revolutionaries stormed the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is one of the most famous monuments in Switzerland, visited annually by about 1.4 million tourists. In 2006, it was placed under Swiss monument protection.

American author Mark Twain praised the sculpture of a mortally wounded lion as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."