Explore the History of this artwork.
Kemeys' Lions for the Art Institute of Chicago often are described as being bronze re-castings of temporary plaster lion sculptures that were displayed on the grounds of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, flanking the Palace of Fine Arts (today's Museum of Science and Industry building). However, documents and photographs from the World's Fair support the lions displayed at the World's Columbian Exposition having been instead created by A. Phimister Proctor and Theodore Baur, not Kemeys. The bronze sculptures for the Art Institute of Chicago were commissioned by Florence Lathrop Field, an early benefactor of the museum. Fields' late husband Henry Field had been an admirer of Kemeys' sculptures, and her brother Bryan Lathrop, a trustee of the Art Institute, had been a patron of Kemeys.After the board of trustees of the Art Institute of Chicago had made a decision for there to be guardian lion sculptures outside of the new museum building, the president of the board of trustees, Charles L. Hutchinson, favored commissioning such as work from one of a dozen better-known sculptors. Those considered included Augustus Bauer, Daniel Chester French, Frederick William Macmonnies, Philip Martiny, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Bryan Lathrop wrote him in September of 1892, strongly recommending he choose Kemeys. Lathrop proposed having his sister, Florence Lathrop Field, acquire and  gift the Art Institute such sculptures. Lathrop stated that Field had wanted to donate them anonymously. However, in voting to accept the gift on January 31, 1893, the board of trustees executive committee also voted to thank the donor.The sculptures were cast in Chicago by the American Bronze Founding Company in 1893, and were unveiled on May 10, 1894.The Chicago Lions rugby union team, founded in 1964, is named for the statues.The lions are occasionally decorated. The lions are, nowadays, decorated in the winter holiday season with wreaths and bows in an annual "wreathing of the lions" ceremony. Often, when a Chicago major league sports team is making a strong postseason run, the sculptures will be adorned to show support for the team.In 2018, as part of the public art exhibit Statue Stories of Chicago, QR codes were installed near each statues that, if scanned, would allow the lions to "speak". One was voiced by Mandy Patinkin, and the other by Tracy Letts.
Augustus Bauer Augustus Saint-Gaudens Art Institute of Chicago QR code bronze Charles L. Hutchinson Daniel Chester French Lion Philip Martiny Chicago Lions Tracy Letts bronze sculpture Museum of Science and Industry World's Columbian Exposition A. Phimister Proctor winter holiday season rugby union Henry Field wreath Mandy Patinkin Florence Lathrop Field Bryan Lathrop Chicago plaster Bronze Frederick William Macmonnies bows