Rembrandt Bugatti big cat sculptures at Bonhams

March 19, 2025 admin Bonhams, Rembrandt Bugatti, sculpture

Three big cat sculptures by Rembrandt Bugatti (1884-1916) are among the highlights of Bonhams 20th/21st Century Art sale on April 2 at Bonhams New Bond Street, London. A sculpture of a leopard walking leads the pack with an estimate of £220,000-350,000, while a sculpture of standing leopard has an estimate of £180,000-250,000, and a seated panther comes with an estimate of £150,000-200,000.

Rembrandt Bugatti sculpture entitled 'Petit léopard marchant' — Rembrandt Bugatti sculpture entitled ‘Petit léopard marchant’ (Conceived circa 1912 and cast by A.A. Hébrard in a numbered edition of 16.) Estimated at £220,000-350,000. Credit: Bonhams

Born in 1884, the Italian sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti concentrated his talents on sculpting animals. Focusing on exotic subjects found in the zoos of Paris and Antwerp, his work featured animals such as anteaters, tapirs, Marabou storks, yaks, secretary birds, elephants, lions and kangaroos, introducing many such animals into the history of European art as sculpted subjects for the first time.

After a period of intense observation, Bugatti would create models for nearly all his sculptures directly in front of the animal itself. The artist’s extraordinary intuition for the right moment made it possible for him to capture each animal’s most expressive gesture and thus create impressively lifelike portraits.

A sculpture entitled 'Petite Panther Assise' by Rembrandt Bugatti — A sculpture entitled ‘Petite Panther Assise’ by Rembrandt Bugatti, (Conceived in 1912 and cast by A.A. Hébrard Fondeur in a numbered edition of 10) Estimated at £150,000-200,000. Credit: Bonhams

Panthers were Bugatti’s “companions in life and work”. After having met with the zookeepers of Jardin des Plantes in Paris, Bugatti felt closer to these animals which he thought were less aggressive and behaved more naturally than humans. He took the time to observe them every day and worked in situ in front of them and captured the animals in all their power and agility. Despite being considered the leading sculptor of his generation, Bugatti ended his own life in 1916, aged only 31.

Ruth Woodbridge, Bonhams Specialist and Head of Department, commented: “By choosing to sculpt freehand, Bugatti presented animals as if in motion in a way that is both precise and complex. His works show a wonderful understanding of the animal he’s sculpting and of his works, his big cat sculptures are his most desirable. We expect to see a lot of interest.”

'Leopard au repos ville de Paris petit modele' by Rembrandt Bugatti — ‘Léopard au repos ville de Paris petit modèle’ by Rembrandt Bugatti. (Conceived circa 1911 and cast by A.A. Hébrard Fondeur in a numbered edition of 23). Estimated at £180,000-250,000. Credit: Bonhams

Writing in Bonhams Magazine, Adrian Dannatt stated: “The three exceptional exemplars of Bugatti’s work in the current Bonhams’ sale come from the richest period of his career, beginning in 1911 when Hébrard exhibited at their Paris space an ambitious menagerie of a hundred of his bronze animals and culminating in 1912 when he was officially invited to show his works in the Olympic Games. The current trio coming up to auction demonstrate the full technical perfection for which Hébrard were celebrated and all the vivid energy, the sheer anthropomorphic symbolism of Bugatti’s singular skill. They may be of the smaller model-versions but that only makes their presence even more of an achievement, like any great sculptor Bugatti managing to increase the density of his modelling, intensify the plasticity of form, in reducing their scale.”