Rembrandt Bugatti "Panthère assise" Bronze Sculpture

Bugatti’s panther was inspired by a poem written by Rainer Maria Rilke for Auguste Rodin in the summer of 1902. While in Paris, Rilke visited the Ménagerie at the Jardin des Plantes, where he saw a panther confined behind bars. This powerful image of the captive animal became the inspiration for Rilke’s famous poem Le Panther, which poignantly captures the creature’s sorrow and restraint. The poem reads as follows: Son regard est si las de traverser les barreaux qu'il ne fixe plus rien. Pour lui, c'est comme s'il y avait un millier de barreaux, et derrière le néant. Un pas dur de la démarche molle, parcourant des cercles décroissants, tel une danse de la force autour d'un centre, où se tient étourdie une volonté plus grande. Sauf que parfois les paupières balaient silencieusement les pupilles. Alors une image entre, traverse l'immobilité des membres, et s’éteint dans le cœur. That same summer, while working as the resident artist at the Jardin des Plantes, Bugatti met Rainer Maria Rilke. In 1902, Bugatti chose to live nearby in order to study and paint the animals. Panthers, in particular, became 'his companions in life and work.' After engaging with the zookeepers at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, Bugatti felt a deeper connection with these creatures, believing them to be less aggressive and more natural in their behavior than humans. He spent hours observing them daily, working on-site and capturing their movements with passion. He familiarized himself with their behavior, studied their natural grace, and envisioned them beyond the confines of their cages. At just 21 years old, he sculpted these panthers spontaneously, without the need for preliminary sketches.