MAURICE PROST (1894–1967) - Lot 222

MAURICE PROST (1894–1967) Roaring Lioness Bronze cast with patina, signed on the base. 31 x 58 x 15 cm. Minor restoration at the corner of the base. Exhibitions. Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, April 1932, a similar piece Salon de la Samothrace, Paris, 1932, a similar piece under no. 31 Galerie Edgar Brandt, Paris, December 1932, a similar example under catalog no. 54 (as bronze and marble) Maurice Prost exhibited in his studio on Rue de la Tombe-Issoire, Paris, May 1939, a bronze example under catalog no. 22. We thank Pierre Kastelyn, who kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work and informed us that there are three versions of this model. The first version, with this base in Belgian black marble, is the one presented at the 1932 exhibitions. There are five copies recorded to date of this model. Our piece is believed to be one of these five copies. The second version has a simplified marble base, more in the style of Prost. The final version is entirely in bronze with a slanted base bearing the foundry’s mark. The total number of copies of this model, including all bases, is estimated to be around ten. Expert: Agnès SEVESTRE-BARBÉ