Cattitude 2024 by Sladmore

C at titude

BUGATTI AND HIS LEGACY

C at titude

150 YEARS OF FELINE SCULPTURE

All items are subject to prior sale.

Dimensions are height in inches and centimetres. Where items are shown on a base, this is included in the measurements.

Due to the ambiguities inherent in measuring complex three-dimensional objects, the measurements given throughout this publication are primarily to provide a sense of each sculpture’s scale. They are not intended for reference in issues of authentication etc.

ISBN 978-1-901403-26-8

57 JERMYN STREET, ST JAMES’S, LONDON SW1Y 6LX + 44 (0) 207 629 1144 | contact@sladmore.com | www.sladmore.com BUGATTI AND HIS LEGACY C at titude

CATTITUDE DEFINITION:

STATE OR FEELING OF IMMENSE SUPERIORITY, BUT NOT ARROGANCE.

*NOUN. 2. (HUMOROUS) THE ATTITUDE OF A CAT.

Some animals lend themselves especially well to sculpture, and without doubt, in this respect ‘Big Cats’ are the leader of the pack. The prowling, predatory nature of these iconic animals, be they tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, or cheetahs is perfectly captured by the medium of bronze. Equally, the domesticity of the house cat can be sensitively portrayed in three-dimensional form, revealing the duality of the species.

Throughout time, artists have been captivated by felines, whose presence is woven into art throughout history, as sculptors have captured their beauty, grace and strength.

‘Cattitude’ is our first exhibition based on big cats and it affords us the opportunity to show sculpture which spans three centuries, allowing a fascinating insight into the sculptural development of felines through time.

We look forward to welcoming you to Jermyn Street.

EDWARD HORSWELL

April 2024

1 Charles-Joseph Artus, Large Panther, c. 1931, bronze page 8 2 Antoine-Louis Barye, Lion and Serpent, 1833, bronze page 10 3 Andre Vincent Becquerel, Stalking Panther, c. 1925, bronze page 12

Rembrandt Bugatti, Lioness Eating, 1903, bronze page 14

Rembrandt Bugatti, Crouching Jaguar, 1908, bronze page 16

Rembrandt Bugatti, Leopard at Rest, 1911, bronze page 18 7 Rembrandt Bugatti, Seated Leopard, 1912, bronze page 22 8 Rembrandt Bugatti, Walking Leopard, 1911, bronze page 24 9 Alberic Collin, Cat with Arched Back, circa 1925, bronze page 26 10 Alberic Collin, Stretching Leopard, 1922, bronze .................................................................................................... page 28 11 Alberic Collin, Tiger’s Head, c. 192, plaster page 30 12 Rose Corcoran, Leopard Walking, 2024, conte on paper page 32 13 Rose Corcoran, Lioness close-up, 2024, charcoal on paper page 34 14 Mark Coreth, Walking Tiger, maquette, 2024, bronze ................................................................................... page 36 15 Mark Coreth, Stretching Panther, Grooming, 2024, bronze page 38 16 Mark Coreth, Large Stretching Panther, 2023 bronze page 40 17 Charles Delhommeau, Drawing of Two Cats, c. 1930, charcoal on paper page 42 18 Roger Godchaux, Reclining Panther, c. 1930, bronze page 44 19 Roger Godchaux, Plaque of a Walking Panther, c. 1930, bronze page 46 20 Georges Guyot, Tiger in his Cage, c. 1930, watercolour page 48

21 Georges Guyot, Seated Leopard, 1920, bronze page 50 22 Louise Haerens Robelus, Reclining Cat, 1935, bronze page 52 23 Henri-Alfred-Marie Jacquemart, Lion and Tiger, life-size c. 1865, cast iron page 54 24 Jean Joachim, An Angora Cat Medal, c. 1988, bronze page 60 25 Jonathan Kenworthy, Yawning Tigress, bronze page 62 26 Gaston Le Bourgeois, Head of the Panther Bagheera, c. 1930, bronze page 66 27 Gaston Le Bourgeois, Lion Walking, c. 1927, bronze page 70 28 Victor Peter, Head of a Lion, plaque, c. 1880, bronze page 74 29 Jeanne Piffard, Walking Lion, c. 1930, terracotta page 76 30 Francois Pompon, Speckled Panther, 1925, bronze ............................................................................................ page 78 31 Edouard-Marcel Sandoz, Cat Sleeping, c. 1916, ceramic page 80 32 Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Small Seated Angora Cat, 1910, bronze page 82 33 Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Seated Cat with Ruff, 1900, bronze page 83 34 Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Two Sleeping Cats, c. 1900, drawing on paper .... page 84 35 Theophile Alexandre Steinlen, Sleeping Cat, large, c. 1900, bronze page 85 36 Nichola Theakston, Sekhmet II, 2024, bronze page 86 37 Nichola Theakston, Bastet, 2022, bronze page 88 38 Auguste Trémont, Panther, circa 1930, bronze page 90 39 Thierry Van Ryswyck, Walking Panther, c. 1940, bronze page 94 40 Thierry Van Ryswyck, Walking Tiger, c. 1940, bronze page 98

LIST OF EXHIBITS

1

Artus was driven by a desire to enhance the attitude of his subject, removing all superfluous detail to create smooth and sleek forms, as is exemplified in the dynamism of this walking panther.

LARGE PANTHER

CIRCA 1931

(FRENCH, 1897-1978)

HEIGHT: 10 IN (25 CM)

CHARLES-JOSEPH ARTUS BRONZE

LION AND SERPENT

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE (FRENCH, 1795-1875)

HEIGHT: 23 IN (58 CM)

1833

BRONZE

3

Becquerel’s favourite subject matter was cats, which he often captured frozen in movement, epitomised here in this majestic model of a stalking panther on a rock.

STALKING PANTHER

CIRCA 1925

ANDRE VINCENT BECQUEREL (FRENCH, 1893–1981)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 11.8 IN (30 CM)

“As for Rembrandt Bugatti, what he liked observing in his models was precisely their movement, and certainly not static poses. How they crouched down, bodies extended, mouths half-open, claws unfurled. How lithely they arched their backs.”

THE ANIMAL GAZER, EDGARDO FRANZONSINI

LIONESS EATING

(ITALIAN, 1884–1916)

HEIGHT: 7 IN (17 CM)

15 4

1903

REMBRANDT BUGATTI BRONZE

Bugatti was known for his uncanny empathy with animals, and contemporary photographs show big cats seeming to ‘hold a pose’ specifically for him to depict. Animals offered him a refuge from human relationships that he found fraught with tension.

CROUCHING JAGUAR

1908

(ITALIAN, 1884–1916)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 4 IN (11 CM)

17 5

REMBRANDT BUGATTI

LEOPARD AT REST

REMBRANDT BUGATTI (ITALIAN, 1884–1916) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 12.4 IN (32 CM)

This work has enormous grandeur as a sculpture. It shows Bugatti’s ability to capture the dynamism of big cats and their ability to stand with mesmeric stillness.

18 6

1911

This is one of Bugatti’s most unforgettable sculptures of the cat family. The symmetry, broken by a subtle turn of the head and slight shift of one hind leg lends the work a repose and dignity rare even for the human portrait in modern sculpture.

SEATED LEOPARD

REMBRANDT BUGATTI (ITALIAN, 1884–1916) BRONZE HEIGHT: 7.3 IN (19C M)

1912

WALKING LEOPARD

(ITALIAN, 1884–1916)

HEIGHT: 9 IN (24 CM)

1911 REMBRANDT BUGATTI BRONZE

Here Collin adeptly captures the energy of the cat as it stretches, its chin firmly lowered into his neck, hind legs and tail outstretched.

CAT WITH ARCHED BACK

CIRCA 1925

HEIGHT: 7.5 IN (19 CM)

ALBERIC COLLIN (BELGIAN, 1886–1962) BRONZE

10 STRETCHING LEOPARD

CIRCA 1922

(BELGIAN, 1886–1962)

HEIGHT: 10.2 IN (26 CM)

ALBERIC COLLIN BRONZE

This model was exhibited at Antwerp Zoo in 1943 and this rare plaster is patinated, giving the appearance of a bronze.

TIGER’S HEAD

CIRCA 1925

ALBERIC COLLIN (BELGIAN, 1886–1962)

PLASTER

HEIGHT: 8.7 IN (22 CM)

Rose Corcoran’s exciting new collection of drawings will be exhibited at the Sladmore Gallery this October. Its focus will be her charcoal drawings of big cats, including largescale pieces, for which Rose is celebrated.

12 LEOPARD WALKING

ROSE CORCORAN (BRITISH, BORN 1972)

CONTE ON PAPER, UNIQUE DRAWING HEIGHT: 18 IN (45 CM)

2024

LIONESS CLOSE-UP

2024

ROSE CORCORAN (BRITISH, BORN 1972)

CHARCOAL ON PAPER, UNIQUE DRAWING

HEIGHT: 13.5 IN (35 CM)

This walking Lion maquette is a study for a life-size version, in either scale this work captures the energy and movement for which Coreth is known.

14

WALKING TIGER, MAQUETTE

2024 MARK CORETH

(BRITISH, BORN.1958 – LONDON)

BRONZE, EDITION OF 12 HEIGHT: 4 IN (10 CM)

15 STRETCHING PANTHER, GROOMING

(BRITISH, BORN 1958 – LONDON)

BRONZE, FROM AN EDITION OF 9

H: 10.2 IN (26 CM)

2024 MARK CORETH

16 LARGE STRETCHING PANTHER

2023

MARK CORETH

(BRITISH, BORN 1958 – LONDON)

BRONZE, FROM AN EDITION OF 9, HEIGHT: 25 IN (64 CM)

DRAWING OF TWO CATS

CIRCA 1930

CHARLES DELHOMMEAU (FRENCH, 1883–1970)

DRAWING

HEIGHT: 13.1 IN (33 CM)

18

Godchaux found his models in the zoo, favouring young felines and large animals whose dense muscular mass gave him the challenge of portraying dynamic force in volume. His work was based on strict observation reinforced by very fine detailed drawings.

RECLINING PANTHER

CIRCA 1930

ROGER GODCHAUX (FRENCH, 1878–1958)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 2.1 IN (5 CM)

PLAQUE OF A WALKING PANTHER

CIRCA 1930

1878–1958)

HEIGHT: 5.9 IN (15 CM)

ROGER GODCHAUX (FRENCH, BRONZE

TIGER IN HIS CAGE

CIRCA 1930

GEORGES GUYOT (FRENCH, 1885–1973)

WATERCOLOUR HEIGHT: 7.1 IN (18 CM)

Self-taught, Guyot haunted the Jardin des Plantes, capturing his cats with a recognisable character and extraordinary stylistic verve and skill. Here he captures the intimacy of the cat, depicting adeptly the stillness of the moment.

21 SEATED LEOPARD

CIRCA 1920

GEORGES GUYOT (FRENCH, 1885–1973) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 7.2 IN (18 CM)

Haeren’s important patron was Elisabeth of Bavaria who was known as the Queen of the Belgians, who shared Robelus’s love of cats and commissioned many of her works.

RECLINING CAT

LOUISE HAERENS ROBELUS (BELGIAN, 1884–1961)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 8.3 IN (21 CM)

52 22

1935

LION AND TIGER

CIRCA 1865

HENRI-ALFRED-MARIE JACQUEMART (FRENCH, 1824–1896)

CAST IRON

HEIGHT: 60 IN (152 CM)

LIFE-SIZE

56 23

Val d’Osne Foundry, France

Creator of the Monumental Rhinoceros of the Musée d’Orsay, Jacquemart’s rare, impressive oversize lion and tiger were included in the Barbezat catalogue of 1865.

Inscribed in French ‘Friend of the sun from the dawn of time.’ this doublesided medal, depicts the Egyptian god Bastet, the feline goddess of the home, domesticity, women’s secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth.

24 AN ANGORA CAT MEDAL

CIRCA 1988

JEAN JOACHIM (FRENCH, 1905–1990) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 3.1 IN (8 CM)

In 1977 Kenworthy visited Nepal where he first encountered tigers, here depicted with a striking sense of the animal’s movement and expression, capturing the latent power of this magnificent large cat.

YAWNING TIGRESS

JONATHAN KENWORTHY (ENGLISH, BORN 1943) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 13.8 IN (35 CM)

63 25

2005

HEAD OF THE PANTHER BAGHEERA

CIRCA 1930 GASTON LE BOURGEOIS (FRENCH, 1880–1956) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 8.3 IN (21 CM)

The subject of this sculpture was a panther named Bagheera who lived with Le Bourgeois at his home in Rambouillet where he had a menagerie of animals. This cast is the modele, which was the first cast taken from the original carving in pear wood.

LION WALKING

CIRCA 1927

GASTON LE BOURGEOIS (FRENCH, 1880–1956) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 13.4 IN (34 CM)

This actual cast comes from the collection of Francois Ducharne the founder of the Lyon silk company. The eminent designer Jacques Ruhlmann created the interiors for his Parisian home which included this rare Walking Lion.

HEAD OF A LION

CIRCA 1880

VICTOR PETER (FRENCH, 1840-1918)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 4 IN (9 CM)

29

Examples of this model exist in various different finishes, this example was first produced in terracotta which was then enamelled. The result is a lustrous finish, rich in colour.

WALKING LION

CIRCA 1930 JEANNE PIFFARD (FRENCH, 1892–1971)

TERRACOTTA

HEIGHT: 10.9 IN (28 CM)

“You have to look at the animal from a distance. Close to, you see all the unimportant detail. From a distance the subject takes on its real significance. The formal relationships become apparent. But you must still simplify, make sacrifices, and deform in order to gain expression.”

FRANCOIS POMPON

SPECKLED PANTHER

FRANCOIS POMPON (FRENCH, 1855–1933)

BRONZE

HEIGHT: 8 IN (21 CM)

79 30

1925

Period photograph, circa 1930

Sandoz was a phenomenal sculptor who was both inventive and creative. He incorporated many of his stand-alone sculptural designs into utilitarian objects such as letter openers, desk bells, jardinieres, vases, and here, a lap warmer.

CAT SLEEPING

CIRCA 1916

EDOUARD-MARCEL SANDOZ (SWISS, 1880–1971)

WIDTH: 3.5 IN (9 CM)

CERAMIC

Each year starting with Bugatti’s Crouching Jaguar in 1906 the Hébrard Gallery chose a highly desirable small-scale sculpture that they offered in a limited edition of fifty examples. The present model forms part of this series.

32 SMALL SEATED ANGORA CAT

1910

ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (SWISS, 1859–1923) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 4.9 IN (12 CM)

THEOPHILE

SEATED CAT WITH RUFF

THEOPHILE ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (SWISS, 1859–1923) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 2.7 IN (7 CM)

83 33

1900

Steinlen spent his days surrounded by cats, an animal with which he had a life-long fascination. He produced numerous drawings capturing the relationship between felines.

TWO SLEEPING CATS

1900

THEOPHILE ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (SWISS, 1859–1923)

DRAWING

HEIGHT: 6.6 IN (17 CM)

SLEEPING CAT

HEIGHT: 2.2 IN (6CM)

85 35

1900

THEOPHILE ALEXANDRE STEINLEN (SWISS, 1859–1923) BRONZE

SEKHMET II

2024

NICHOLA THEAKSTON (BRITISH, BORN 1967)

BRONZE, EDITION OF 12

HEIGHT: 18 IN (46 CM)

37 BASTET

2024

(BRITISH, BORN 1967)

BRONZE, EDITION OF 12 HEIGHT: 17.3 IN (44 CM)

NICHOLA THEAKSTON

This model depicts an alert panther eying up his prey, his head cocked attentitively

PANTHER

CIRCA 1930

AUGUSTE TRÉMONT (LUXEMBOURG, 1892–1980) BRONZE

HEIGHT: 13.4 IN (34 CM)

The Belgian artist Van Ryswyck looked beyond the traditional representations of the animals he sculpted and instead captured their attitude and emotion as is evident in the portrayal of this walking panther.