Canova Sleeping Lion Plaster Large Sculpture L32cm

The original lions were created were created in 1792 by the Italian artist, Antonio Canova (1757-1822) for the Monumental tomb of Pope Clement XIII in St.Peter's Basilica in Rome. These reproductions were moulded directly from originals in a French private collection which were acquired around 1810 from the Canova workshop in Rome. Popular in the 19th Century when many collectors acquired a taste for classical sculpture this 32cm plaster sculpture depicts a lion sleeping.