Lion et lionne allongés, c. 1922
Oil on paper mounted on cardboard, signed lower right
44.50 x 55 cm
Provenance :
Purchased from the artist and transmitted by descent.
Bibliography:
Charles Terrasse, Paul Jouve, Edition du Plantin, Paris, 1948, illustrated p. 7.
Félix Marcilhac, Paul Jouve peintre sculpteur animalier, Les éditions de l’Amateur, 2005, illustrated on p.140.
Exhibition history:
Salon des artistes français, Grand Palais, Paris, 1961, n°2071.
Paul Jouve et Jean Després, Atelier de Paul Jouve, 70 bis rue Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Paris, 7 – 11 June 1961.
Certificate of authenticity issued by M. Dominique Suisse.
Paul Jouve – Lion and Lioness Reclining (c. 1922)
This painting by Paul Jouve illustrates the strength and nobility of big cats, central themes in his oeuvre. The lion and lioness, depicted reclining on a rock, dominate the composition with their monumentality and the quiet power emanating from their silhouettes.
The pictorial surface, rich in brown and ochre tones with bluish highlights, gives the animals an almost sculptural intensity. Through his masterful drawing and refined use of color, Jouve combines naturalistic observation with modern stylization, transforming the scene into an image both realistic and hieratic.
Created around 1922, this work reflects the artistic maturity of Paul Jouve, recognized as one of the greatest French animal artists of the 20th century. His lions, tigers, and panthers—painted, sculpted, or engraved—established him as a master of the modern bestiary, celebrated in France and internationally.
Galerie Alexis Pentcheff – Marseille
Specialist in modern painters of the 20th century, the gallery offers for sale works by Paul Jouve, as well as other masters of animal painting.