- 60
Guillaume Geefs
Estimate
60,000 - 80,000 GBP
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Description
- Guillaume Geefs
- Le Lion Amoureux (The Lion in love)
- signed: Gm Geefs.
- white marble, on a veined light grey marble base
Condition
Overall the condition of the marble is very good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is veining to the marble consistent with the material, including slightly open veins at the woman's lower back and back of the neck, and further open veins with inclusions at the woman's proper right shoulder and proper right thigh. There are several naturally occurring inclusions, notably at the lion's proper right eyebrow, the woman's proper right back of the knee, and between her breasts. There is a loss to the tip of the scissors. There are a few small dirt marks to the marble, including to the woman's proper right calf, her proper left thigh, and the edge of the base. There are a few chips and abrasions to the bottom edge of the base. A small section at the bottom edge of the base has been reattached.
The veined marble base is in good condition with several chips to the edges, including a larger loss to the top edge.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
When the Le lion amoureux, or The lion in love, was presented in the Crystal Palace at The Great Exhibition of 1851 it caused a furore. Prince Albert promptly gifted a version to Queen Victoria, Guillaume Geefs was handed a prize medal, and the catalogues that record the famous exhibition include full-page engravings of the charming group. The sculpture is based on Aesop’s tale about the King of the beasts claiming a farmer’s handsome daughter. She coaxes the amorous King into having his nails clipped. Subdued and defenceless the King is quickly vanquished by the people. The moral of the story, that gentle influence can overcome the greatest enemies, was joyfully received by the Victorians and the group became a major success. Successful appearances at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855 and the Exposition Générale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels in 1857 further cemented Geefs’ international reputation.
Geefs trained in Antwerp, in Paris under Lorenzo Bartolini, and in Brussels before opening his own atelier in the latter city in 1836. Four years earlier he had already been appointed Royal Sculptor of Belgium. Aside from numerous portraits of the royal family, Geefs was therefore the recipient of many commissions for monuments in Belgium’s great cities. His performance at the important international exhibitions when Geefs was in his 50s attracted the patronage of the English and Prussian Royal families, among other foreign patrons, putting him in the top ranks of sculptors of the mid-19th century. The lion in love is among his most coveted models. The original marble is in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (inv. no. 1392) and three smaller versions such as the present are recorded by Van Lennep (op.cit., p. 186). Bronze versions were cast as well.
RELATED LITERATURE
E. Concanen, Gems of art from the Great Exhibition of 1851, London, 1852; L. Corbeaux, Sculpture from the Great Exhibition of “1851”, London, 1852, pl. 12; J. van Lennep (ed.), La sculpture Belge au 19e siècle, exh. cat. Le générale de banque, Brussels, 1990, 416; J. van Lennep, Catalogue de la sculpture. Artistes nés entre 1750 en 1882, cat. Koninklijke musea voor schone kunsten België, Gent, 1992, pp. 185-186; M. Marx and C. Engelen, Beeldhouwkunst in België vanaf 1830, Brussels, 2002, vol. II, pp. 762-763
Geefs trained in Antwerp, in Paris under Lorenzo Bartolini, and in Brussels before opening his own atelier in the latter city in 1836. Four years earlier he had already been appointed Royal Sculptor of Belgium. Aside from numerous portraits of the royal family, Geefs was therefore the recipient of many commissions for monuments in Belgium’s great cities. His performance at the important international exhibitions when Geefs was in his 50s attracted the patronage of the English and Prussian Royal families, among other foreign patrons, putting him in the top ranks of sculptors of the mid-19th century. The lion in love is among his most coveted models. The original marble is in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (inv. no. 1392) and three smaller versions such as the present are recorded by Van Lennep (op.cit., p. 186). Bronze versions were cast as well.
RELATED LITERATURE
E. Concanen, Gems of art from the Great Exhibition of 1851, London, 1852; L. Corbeaux, Sculpture from the Great Exhibition of “1851”, London, 1852, pl. 12; J. van Lennep (ed.), La sculpture Belge au 19e siècle, exh. cat. Le générale de banque, Brussels, 1990, 416; J. van Lennep, Catalogue de la sculpture. Artistes nés entre 1750 en 1882, cat. Koninklijke musea voor schone kunsten België, Gent, 1992, pp. 185-186; M. Marx and C. Engelen, Beeldhouwkunst in België vanaf 1830, Brussels, 2002, vol. II, pp. 762-763