A PAIR OF LIFESIZE ITALIAN MARBLE RECUMBANT LIONS
Lot 268 PROPERTY FROM A SOUTH AMERICAN COLLECTION (LOTS 263-268)

A PAIR OF LIFESIZE ITALIAN MARBLE RECUMBANT LIONS

AFTER THE MODELS BY ANTONIO CANOVA (ITALIAN, 1757-1822), LATE 19TH CENTURY

Closed15 July 2020

Price Realised

GBP 35,000

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A PAIR OF LIFESIZE ITALIAN MARBLE RECUMBANT LIONS
AFTER THE MODELS BY ANTONIO CANOVA (ITALIAN, 1757-1822), LATE 19TH CENTURY
Each on integral rectangular plinths
23 in. (58.5 cm.) high; 48 in. (122 cm.) wide; 17 in. (43 cm.) deep

Specialist note


The iconic original marble models by Antonio Canova were designed for the base of the tomb of Pope Clement XIII. Unveiled on 6th April 1792, this monument was one of the first, and most ambitious, neoclassical tombs in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. The two lions can be found flanking its entrance, with the one on the left depicted awake, and the other asleep, symbolically representing the Pope's energetic work and his moderation, respectively.