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Lot Essay
To Lewis, all of the large cat predators embody different qualities. Where the leopard is sinuosity and the cheetah, elegance, to him, the lion is strength and sheer, unadulterated might. This sculpture is noteworthy because Lewis did few lion forms and also because it was done in a different medium. The vast majority of his cat sculptures were originally done in clay, but this lion was done first in plaster - a medium that allowed the artist to mould, model and carve. As a result it has a slightly less fluid feel about it than those works done in clay and has a more iconographic, stylised appearance than his other animal works.