Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1870s.
This high-quality hot cast solid bronze was produced using the traditional "lost wax" process, otherwise known as the "cire perdue" method.
This is a splendid antique bronze sculpture which is sure to receive the maximum amount of attention wherever it is placed.
Condition:
In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 12.5 cm x Width 18.5 cm x Depth 10.5 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 5 inches x Width 7 inches x Depth 4 inches
The Medici lions
are a pair of marble sculptures of lions: one of which is Roman, dating to the 2nd century AD, and the other a 16th-century pendant. Both were by 1598 placed at the Villa Medici, Rome. Since 1789, they have been displayed at the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence. The sculptures depict standing male lions with a sphere or ball under one paw, looking to the side.
Copies of the Medici lions have been made and publicly installed in over 30 other locations, and smaller versions have been made in a variety of media; the Medici lion has become the term for the type.
A similar Roman lion sculpture, of the 1st century AD, is known as the Albani lion, and is now in the Louvre. Here, the stone used for the ball is different from the basalt body. Both may derive from a Hellenistic original.
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary.
It served as an educational rite of passage. Though primarily associated with the British nobility and wealthy landed gentry, similar trips were made by wealthy young men of Protestant Northern European nations on the Continent, and from the second half of the 18th century, some South American, U.S., and other overseas youth joined in. The tradition was extended to include more of the middle class after rail and steamship travel made the journey less of a burden.
The primary value of the Grand Tour, it was believed, lay in the exposure both to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A grand tour could last from several months to several years. It was commonly undertaken in the company of a knowledgeable guide or tutor.
The Grand Tour not only provided a liberal education but also allowed those who could afford it the opportunity to buy things otherwise unavailable at home, and it thus increased participants' prestige and standing. Grand Tourists would return with crates of art, books, pictures, sculpture, and items of culture, which would be displayed in libraries, cabinets, gardens, and drawing rooms, as well as the galleries built purposely for their display. The Grand Tour became a symbol of wealth and freedom.
Our reference: A5275
Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1870s.
We specialise in english and continental furniture, silver, porcelain and decorative items.
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Antique French Grand Tour Bronze Sculpture of The Medici Lion 19th C
