This horizontal rectangular Italian stone piece depicts a winged lion in relief. The edges of the piece are rough, with the top right corner and the bottom left corner being cut off. The lion fills the entire piece. The lion faces to our left and is largely seen in profile, with the exception of its head which is in three-quarters view looking out and slightly down. Its mane flows over its head and is tucked in above its shoulder. A hollow rimmed circle represents its left ear. The lion rests on its haunches with its left front paw resting on a carved book. The lion’s left wing engulfs the front part of its body, spreading out over the top of its left front leg, its shoulder, and back. The other wing is visible from the front of its chest across the background to our left. The back of the lion’s haunches appear to be covered by the folds of some drapery.
Italian, Veneto
Lion of Saint Mark with Closed Book,
mid 15th century
Stone
,
47 x 53.7 cm (18 1/2 x 21 1/8 in.)
Object details
Accession number
S5e11
Primary Creator
Italian, Veneto
Full title
Lion of Saint Mark with Closed Book
Creation Date
mid 15th century
Provenance
Acquired by Isabella Stewart Gardner probably in Venice in 1897.
Dimensions
47 x 53.7 cm (18 1/2 x 21 1/8 in.)
Display Media
Stone
Web Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.
Permanent Gallery Location
Courtyard
Bibliography
Gilbert Wendel Longstreet and Morris Carter. General Catalogue (Boston, 1935), p. 43. (as 16th century)
Cornelius C. Vermeule III et al. Sculpture in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, 1977), p. 171, no. 221. (catalogued under "doubtful authenticity"; Venetian, 19th century)
Alberto Rizzi. I leoni di San Marco: il simbolo della Repubblica Veneta nella scultura e nella pittura, vol. 2 (Venice, 2001-2012), p. 287, no. 2610. (as middle of the 15th century, "provincial origin [Veneto]")
Elizabeth Anne McCauley et al. Gondola Days: Isabella Stewart Gardner and the Palazzo Barbaro Circle. Exh. cat. (Boston: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum; Venice: Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, 2004), p. 185. (as "leon in moleca"; as middle of the 15th century, "provincial origin [Veneto]")
Rights and reproductions
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Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.