Lion Mignon

LEON MIGNON (Liège, 1847-Schaerbeek, 1898).
"The Harlequin".
Brown patinated bronze on gilded base.
Signed.
Measurements: 49,5 x 17 x 17 cm.

The European sculpture of the late twentieth century knows the rise of symbolism and other avant-garde movements that often denote a special fascination with disguise and concealment, as well as the circus world. In fact, clowns and harlequins are metaphorical figures, allegories of the figure of the artist, with which he reflects on his marginality and rootlessness, but also on his freedom and irreverence.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liege, Leon Mignon had his first exhibition at the Ghent Salon and obtained a scholarship from the Darchis Foundation to continue his studies in Italy. He was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Salon for his sculpture "Li Tore", which provoked controversy among critics for its combination of nudity and direct realism. The bull became an emblem for the whole of Liège, with the city's motto "Liège, force the future!". One of his most animalistic sculptures can be seen in the Botanical Garden of Brussels. His work is currently represented in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels.