Georges Omerth

GEORGES OMERTH (France, active between 1895 and 1925).
"The Lion's Roar."
Gilded tin on a green marble base.
Signed “G. Omerth” on one side of the base.
Stamped “bronze garanti paris – j.b. déposée.”
The gilding shows a patina consistent with its age.
Measurements: 36 x 38 x 12 cm; 3 x 33.5 x 13.5 cm (base).

The lion stands upright on a rocky outcrop, with its head raised and jaws open in the midst of a roar. The modeling combines the anatomical rendering of the body with a more expressive treatment of the mane and the terrain, concentrating the composition’s greatest tension on the head. The gilding reinforces the decorative and monumental character of a figure designed to be viewed from different angles. The work is part of the French animalistic tradition, which enjoyed great popularity from the 19th century onward and remained very much in evidence during the early decades of the 20th century. Georges Omerth worked on both the human figure and animal subjects, developing a body of work with a marked decorative vocation.