Georges Gardet (French, 1863-1939), Lion et Lionne

Patinated bronze, signed "G. GARDET" with foundry mark "Siot Decauville," inscribed "_Modèle_" to the terrace profile. Includes purchase receipt from Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud, Paris.

20 x 28 1/2 x 16 in.

Private Collection, Edenton, North Carolina

Galerie Nicolas Bourriaud, Paris

Note the larger scale of this casting by Siot foundry. Smaller sizes have been offered at auction, however this 28 1/2 inch tall 'Modele' may be the largest to come to the auction market.

The son of sculptor Joseph Gardet, Georges Gardet was a pupil at the Ecole des Beaux Arts under the tutelage of French sculptors Aime Millet (1819-1891) and Emanuel Fremiet (1824-1910). Gardet first exhibited at the Salon des Artistes in 1883, and would go on to exhibit there regularly. His first major success at the Paris Salon was in 1887, with the group Panthere et Python also entitled Drame du desert. He was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour, and won the Grand Prix at the Exhibition Universale in 1900. He was a member of the Society of French Artists and the Academy of Fine Arts. Gardet became well known for his animalier sculptures in stone and bronze, and created important large public statues including a lion group titled Lion à l'enfant for the 1900 Paris World's Fair, located at each end of the Pont Alexandre III balustrade.

Literature: Kjellberg, Pierre. Bronzes of the 19th Century, Dictionary of Sculptors (Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 1994. Pages 341-344.

Good estate condition; some light greening to the patina.