Geza Jeno Ferenc Vastagh (Hungarian, 1866-1919). Oil on board painting depicting a lion and lioness. Signed along the lower left. With stickers from Christie's New York affixed to the verso.

Provenance: Christie's, New York, Sale 8165: 19th Century & Impressionist, October 28, 1998, Lot 6; Private Minnesota Collection.

Vastagh came from an artistic family. His father, Gyorgy Vastagh, was a painter, and his brother, Gyorgy, his niece, Eva, and his nephew, Laszlo, all became sculptors. He studied under Gabriel von Hackl at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. He initially rose to fame for his paintings of animals, notably cows, for which he was awarded a gold medal. A scholarship awarded to him in 1898 allowed him to travel to Algeria and Tunisia where he studied lions. He followed this interest in animals by studying creatures in zoos in Hamburg, Leipzig, and Berlin.
Sight; height: 21 in x width: 27 in. Framed; height: 26 1/4 in x width: 32 1/2 in. The painting is in generally good condition with no visible tears, creases, or losses. The surface is stable, and the color is bold and bright. Along the upper left corner, the panel is not fully attached to the frame; there is a minor gap between the panel and the frame. When inspected under UV light, there is an area with a possible restoration to the lower left margin; the surface is not stable; please see the listing image. Verso was not inspected due to the nature of how the painting is framed. Wear to the frame.