Cats in Art: A Lion Gutter Spout

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art.  Having moved on from Stefano Zuffi's marvelous work, The Cat in Art, I am now using some ideas from Caroline Bugler's equally impressive book, The Cat/3500 Years of the Cat in Art.   

After several posts on the art of Chardin, I am diverting into some art that the bride and I just saw in Italy on a wonderful visit to the Amalfi Coast.

Below are a couple of shots from a Roman villa near the Greek ruins of Paestum, Italy.

 Image credits Gary

So those crazy Romans thought it was worthwhile and important to create art in the form of lion's head gargoyles, if you will, while building their rain gutters.  A simple hole or spout just would not have sufficed.  My hat is off to those guys from 2,000 years ago.

For scale, this section of gutter is perhaps a foot and a half in length, making the lion's head about 5" or so wide.

[Gary note: With my Cats in Arts posts, I encourage you to scope out the art appreciation site Artsy (I have no financial interest in the site, I just like it), where you can explore many aspects of the world of art.  You'll certainly be entertained and enlightened!] 

Cats in Art: Head of a Lion (unknown Indian Artist)

[Gary note: using my iPad for this post, as Blogger software and my PC still seem not to be playing nice.  Hope it comes across OK]

From my continuing weekly Sunday series of cats in art. I am using some ideas from the coffee table book, The Cat in Art, by Stefano Zuffi.  This particular piece of art featured today was one the bride and I personally viewed and photographed at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC.  We were there with our niece a few weeks back attending the Library of Congress' National Book Festival, held on the Mall.

 

Image credit Gary, carved limestone from a gateway pillar at the Amaravati Stupa, state of Andhra Pradesh, India, unknown artist, 2nd century CE,  held by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

In this life-size sculpture of the head of a female lion, I love how the artist managed to capture what the explanatory panel calls the "noble strength" of the lion.  For me, the word grace comes to mind...again.  As I review some of my Cats in Art posts, I seem particularly partial to the word "grace," but upon further reflection that word is such a natural fit.  It perfectly conjures up the blend of strength, power, and agility that is the cat.

Seeing this sculpture up close--I could have touched it if I wished--was a wonderful experience.  I can well image the stone carver from 2000 years ago lovingly crafting this kitty.