One of Leo Lewin’s favorite artists was the sculptor August Gaul. The Breslau collector was the sole owner of the complete “Little Animal Park,” a set consisting of fifteen small bronze and silver figures mounted on a marble base. This series was created by the artist in 1915, and four years later, the figurines were presented at a monographic exhibition organized in Berlin by Cassirer. Most likely, during this occasion, Lewin acquired them for his villa in Breslau. The collection also included over twenty medium and large-sized animal figures, including an orangutan commissioned from the artist, which was one of the sculptor’s last works. The basalt sculpture, completed in 1925, is now part of the collection of the Berlin National Gallery.
The Little Animal Park was likely displayed in several rooms of Leo Lewin’s villa on Akacjowa Street. Archival photographs of the music salon indicate that a portion of the series was exhibited there. In a specially designed niche, ten small-format works were hung, framed in precious amber and ivory frames. Below them, five figurines by August Gaul were arranged.
Berlin art dealers and close friends of Leo Lewin – Bruno and Paul Cassirer – were among those who supported the work of August Gaul. It is likely that they introduced the Breslau collector to the sculptor. However, the most significant commission Gaul carried out for Lewin was the garden fountain created in 1919. The sculptor placed a total of five swan figures on three tall pedestals mounted on an oval pedestal. Financial difficulties forced Lewin to sell the fountain before 1928. The “Little Animal Park” was offered to the Berlin National Gallery, where it remains to this day. In the Berlin museum, there is also Gaul’s bas-relief “In the Arena” from 1897, also originating from Lewin’s collection.
