Handle. Blued Bronze, Marble. France, Late 19th Century.

Handle. Blued bronze, marble. France, late 19th century.
Burnished bronze sculpture on an oval green-veined marble base depicting two lionesses or panthers engaged in combat, one biting the other's neck, claws, limbs, and muscles tense. The quality of the design and composition, as well as the modeling and casting, should be emphasized, as a series of striking details are clearly visible in the work. The engraved base features an inscription related to Clovis-Edmond Masson (Paris, France, 1838-1913). Trained under Antoine-Louis Barye, Rouillard, and Santiago, he regularly exhibited his works (mainly on animal themes and almost always in bronze, wax, or plaster) at the Paris Salon between 1867 and 1909. Thanks to the popularity and quality of his work, many bronze figures were produced for the interiors of grand residences. Currently, the most popular works are those depicting felines in violent or forceful attitudes and postures, which seem to anticipate what was usual in this type of art in France between 1910 and 1930. -
Dimensions: 65x23x38 cm