Rembrandt Bugatti was a remarkable sculptor and painter born in Milan in 1884 to the famous Bugatti family. He started sculpting at a young age, displaying a propensity for capturing movement and grace. His father, Carlo Bugatti, a renowned engineer, sent his son to study at the Brera Art Academy in Milan. Preferring to work in bronze, the young Bugatti would sculpt over 300 pieces in his short lifetime and even created the dancing elephant that would eventually become the hood ornament for the Bugatti Type 41 Royale designed by his brother Ettore. One of his other famous sculptures is pictured above. Bugatti was also a talented sketch artist and painter. He volunteered as a paramedic aide at a military hospital in Antwerp during World War I, which would send him into a deep depression. Unable to commit as much time to his artistic pursuits, and plagued by financial trouble, his mental health declined. During the war, Antwerp Zoo was forced to kill many of its animals due to food shortages. This greatly affected Bugatti, who had used many of the animals as inspirations for his beautiful sculptures. He took his life in 1916.
