Lucien & Hèlene Mellerio Collection
Sale: Tajan, Paris, June 20, 2001, lot 20
Galerie Cazeau-Béraudière, Paris
Acquired from the above

Mary Harvey, The Bronzes of Rembrandt Bugatti (1885-1916): An Illustrated Catalogue and Biography, London, 1979, no. 25, illustration of another cast p. 35
Rembrandt Bugatti 1885-1916 (exhibition catalogue), Macklowe Gallery Ltd., New York, 1979, illustration of another cast  pl. 25
Philippe Dejean, Bugatti: Carlo, Rembrandt, Ettore, Jean, New York, 1982, illustration of another cast pp. 156-57
Jacques Chalom des Cordes & Véronique Fromanger des Cordes, Rembrandt Bugatti, Catalogue raisonné, Paris, 1987, illustration of another cast p. 272
Bernard Lamarche-Vadel, Bugatti, les meubles, Bugatti, les sculptures, Bugatti, les autos, Paris, 1995, illustration of another cast p. 160
Edward Horswell, Rembrandt Bugatti: Life in Sculpture,💜 London, 2004, illustration of another cast pp. 134-🔯35

Nutty brown patina. Surface is clean and there are no signs of patina rubbing. A very few minor surface nicks. Work is in excellent condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Bugatti was unique among modernist sculptors in focusing on depictions of wild animals.  So fascinated was he by this subject that he worked primarily outdoors at the Jardin Zoologique in Antwerp after moving to the city in 1907 so that he could study the nuances of animal behavior.  He re🎐ndered his figures in plastiline, a typical Italian modeling clay, using strokes of his thumbs, and working with the Hébrard foundry with the aid of chief founder Albino Palazzolo, who cast the finished works in bronze. 

Edward Horswell provides the following analysis of Bugatti's representation of wild cats and his approach to the present work: "Often he returns to particular beasts, with whom he had developed a special fascination (the male here, identifiable by the kinked tail, recurs in other works).  The artist's cat family sculpture were among his most sought-after, and this example, whether cast singly or in a group, is among the most individual.  Bugatti is especially interested in the tentative delicacy of the raised paw, which is nevertheless potentially deadly.  The pinned-back ears may suggest the anticipation of confrontation or the leopard's consciousness of an animal behind him.  The artist was supremely attuned to his subject's body language" (E. Horswell, op. cit., p. 25).

The plaster cast of this model is in the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome, and was donated by Adrien Hébrard in 19🏅24.

Fig. 1  Rem🐲brandt Bugatti in the marble hall of the Antwerp Zoo during his exhibition, 1900