A seated lion licking himself

Details

Circle of Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn (Leiden 1606-1669 Amsterdam)
A seated lion licking himself
with partially illegible pencil inscription along the lower edge
pen and brown ink, touches of brown wash, pen and brown ink framing lines
3 x 5 3/8 in. (7.6 x 13.6 cm)

Provenance

Mr and Mrs Edward Speelman, London.

Literature

O. Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt, London, 1954, VI, no. C 58, fig. 1620 (as after Rembrandt).
O. Benesch, The Drawings of Rembrandt, E. Benesch, ed., London, 1973, VI, no. C 58, fig. 1699 (as after Rembrandt).

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Jonathan den Otter

jdenotter@christies.com +44 (0) 207 389 2736

Lot Essay

Otto Benesch has suggested that this swiftly drawn lion is a copy after an unknown Rembrandt drawing from 1650-1652 and he links it to two other copies of the subject after Rembrandt: one in the Kupferstichkabinett, Dresden and one from the collection of Sir Edmund Davies (op. cit., no. C 58). A further drawing with the same composition was sold in these Rooms, 26-27 March 1974, lot 219. Recently, Martin Royalton-Kish has suggested that the drawing might not be a copy, but an independent invention by an as yet unidentified Rembrandt pupil (written communication, May 2019). He furthermore notes that the date suggested by Benesch is plausible and that Rembrandt also seems to have made studies of lions at that time.
We are grateful to Peter Schatborn and Martin Royalton-Kisch for their assistance in cataloguing this drawing.

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