Léon Dufrène, Nude, Putto on a Lion's Skin, 1900s, Terracotta

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Description

Terracotta sculpture “Putto on a Lion Skin,” Léon Dufrène, circa 1900 – France

Material: Terracotta
Title of the work: “Putto … Read more Terracotta sculpture “Putto on a Lion Skin,” Léon Dufrène, circa 1900 – France

Material: Terracotta
Title of the work: “Putto on a Lion Skin”
Artist: Léon Dufrène (1880–1917)
Period: Circa 1900
Country of origin: Paris, France
Good condition considering its age and use
Dimensions: 32 x 52 x 30 cm

An exceptional terracotta sculpture, signed by the French academic sculptor Léon Dufrène (1880–1917), originally titled in French in ways such as Putto sur une peau de lion (Putto on a Lion Skin) or Baby and Lion.

It depicts a young male figure, or putto in the classical style, seated on a lion skin and turning to gaze at its open jaws. The sculpture highlights the contrast between the child's innocence and gentleness and the feline's brute strength, as well as the texture of the animal's mane and the child's soft, delicate skin.

Léon Dufrène was a prominent French academic sculptor of the late 19th century. He specialized in capturing movement and anatomy, both of children and animals, with remarkable sensitivity and dynamism.

This is an original terracotta model, signed by the artist, a material favored by sculptors of the time before sending their pieces to the foundry for bronze casting. The hollow interior is visible, a distinctive characteristic of the working process with this material: terracotta, or fired clay.

It bears the mark of the renowned Parisian foundry Susse Frères Editeurs, founded in 1758, which played a pivotal role in the production of high-quality bronze sculptures during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. This piece has an attribution mark,
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