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  • Posts Tagged ‘André Beauneveu’

    CARVED MARBLE LIONS TO LEAD CHRISTIE’S EXCEPTIONAL SALE

    Tuesday, February 21st, 2017

    Two Addorsed Lions by André Beauneveu  UPDATE: THESE SOLD FOR £9.3 MILLION

    A re-discovered carved marble group of Two Addorsed Lions by André Beauneveu (circa 1335–1402) dating from 1364–66 will lead Christie’s Exceptional Sale in London next July. Originally executed to form part of the tomb of King Charles V of France at the Abbey of St. Denis, the addorsed or placed back to back lions were brought from France in 1802 by the English aristocrat Sir Thomas Neave (1761–1848), and have remained in the same collection ever since. Known to scholars only from an engraving of the 18th century, the emergence of these lions represents a remarkable re-discovery.

    Donald Johnston, Christie’s UK, International Head of Sculpture: ‘It is extraordinarily rare to offer any medieval work of art with such a fully documented provenance. The fact that this marble group was executed by one of the most important sculptors of the period and is part of an important royal commission makes it even more remarkable. The discovery of these lions in a private English collection is wonderful news for collectors and scholars who previously thought they had been lost during the French Revolution.’