1910s Still-life Sculptures

REMBRANDT BUGATTI French, 1884 - 1916 COQ signed "R. Bugatti" (along the left leg) bronze with brown patina Cire Perdue "C. VALSUANI" foundry seal 15-3/8 X 9 X 6-1/4 inches (39,5 X 22.7 X 15,6 cm.) With marble base: 16-3/8 inches (41,5 cm.) height PROVENANCE Spanish Collector, Madrid Rembrandt Bugatti (16 October 1884 – 8 January 1916) was an Italian sculptor, known primarily for his bronze sculptures of wildlife subjects. During World War I he volunteered for paramedical work at a military hospital in Antwerp, an experience which triggered in Bugatti the onset of depression—aggravated by financial problems—which eventually caused him to commit suicide on 8 January 1916 in Paris, France. He was only 31 years old. Born in Milan, into an artistic family, Rembrandt Bugatti was the second son of Carlo Bugatti and his wife, Teresa Lorioli. His older brother Ettore Bugatti became one of the world's most famous automobile manufacturers. He was given his first name by his uncle, the painter Giovanni Segantini. His father was an important Art Nouveau furniture and jewelry designer who also worked in textiles, ceramics, and silver metalware. As such, Rembrandt Bugatti grew up in an environment where a great many of his parent's friends were from the artistic world. In 1902, the family moved to Paris, where they lived in a community of artisans. As a child he hung around his father's workshop and was encouraged to try sculpting in plasticine by family friend the Russian sculptor, Prince Paolo Troubetzkoy...