This beautiful marble sculpture depicts a seated lion holding a coat of arms. The latter represents the coat of arms of the House of Grimaldi and the princely family of Monaco.
The lion is an animal carrying many symbols that has been used since antiquity. It most often has a positive connotation and refers to power, strength and protection. This is the reason why he was often represented at the entrance of churches and this tradition extended to civic buildings. Our lion is in a defensive position, sitting upright and with its head raised proudly.
The animal looks away and bares its teeth as if defending the Grimaldi family and watching for potential danger.
This work reminds us of Donatello’s Marzocco kept in the Bargello National Museum in Florence. This work reminds us of Donatello’s Marzocco kept in the Bargello National Museum in Florence. Symbol of popular power and the army at the time of the Florentine Republic.
However, our lion does not bear the coat of arms of Florence but that of the Maison Grimaldi. This is a dynasty originating from Genoa in Italy which has several branches, the most popular being that of the principality of Monaco. The House of Grimaldi descends from the Genoese statesman Grimaldo, consul of Genoa at the time of the first crusades.
The artist of our sculpture has therefore taken up the Florentine model borrowing strength and power to defend the arms of the Monaco family. From a stylistic point of view, the sculptor stands out in the representation of the lion’s mane, long and curly, very stylized. He works it using a trephine, a difficult technique that allows the creation of small cavities in hard materials such as marble. This element accentuates the look of the animal which proudly wears the Monegasque coat of arms.