A PAIR OF ITALIAN SIENA MARBLE MODELS OF RECUMBENT LIONS

These models are directly based on the two recumbent marble lions which flank the doorway of the monumental tomb of Pope Clement XIII, carved by Antonio Canova (1757-1822). Unveiled on 6th April 1792, this monument was one of the first, and most ambitious, neoclassical tombs in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. One of the lions is vigilant and the other is asleep, symbolically representing the Pope's energetic work and his moderation, respectively.