Download Image
Terms and conditions of use
Crying lion
(Le Lion qui pleure)
1881
Medium
bronze
Measurements
34.4 × 35.5 × 16.9 cm (overall)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1909
Gallery location
19th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
In April 1905 the National Gallery of Victoria’s director Bernard Hall visited Auguste Rodin’s studio in Meudon, outside Paris. Struck by a small bronze depicting a lion in distress, an unusual animal subject for Rodin, Hall requested a copy of it to be cast for Melbourne. Two years later, Hall discussed with Rodin the possibility of enlarging the work to life size, for placement outside the State Library; and Rodin suggested making a second lion, facing the other direction. Nothing further came of this; however, a cast of the small bronze lion was eventually acquired for the NGV by Hall in 1909.
Artwork Details
Inscription
cast in scroll on metal base: GARDE BIEN
cast (diagonally) in top of left side of metal base: 1881 / (...illeg.) I MAI
cast in outside rim of metal base l.r.: ALEXiS RUDiER / FONDEUR. PARiS
cast in top of metal base in rear l.l.: RODiN.
Accession Number
379-2
Department
International Sculpture
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited