Lion's Head (one of pair) c. 1940

Edward DiGennero made this Lion’s Head, one of a pair, sometime between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It's rendered in muted greys and browns, giving it the look of a plaster cast study. Imagine DiGennero, carefully shading around the lion’s features, trying to capture the subtle play of light on its surface. Maybe he was thinking about classical sculpture, or the way light reveals form. I wonder if he ever felt like the lion was staring back at him, silently judging his progress? The way he’s described the lion’s mane with those rhythmic, curving lines—it’s like a visual caress. It reminds me that making art is a conversation across time, between artists and artworks, each one responding to the echoes of the past. It makes me want to pick up a pencil and try to capture something of my own, inspired by his patient gaze.