Barye was one of the most celebrated sculptors of the 19th century. The son of a goldsmith in Lyon, Barye learned at an early age the importance of form, detail, and craftsmanship. An apprenticeship with Guillaume Biennais, Napoleon's goldsmith, introduced him to Neoclassical and antique models which were an inspiration throughout the course of his mature work. Following his service in the military, he went to Paris and studied under Bosio and Gros. From 1818 to 1823 he attended the Ecole des Beaux Arts where he won a second grand prize for a sculpture Cain Admonished by God (location unknown). In 1819 he made his Salon debut winning a several medals, and over the next two decades, he was a regular exhibitor. His sculptures from this period were based on his observations of animals in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes and skeletons in the Musée d'Anatome Comparée, and his 1831 Salon entry Tiger Devouring a Gavial of the Ganges (Baltimore Museum of Art) launched his reputation and in 1833 he was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur. In 1830 Louis Philippe assumed the throne and his son the Duc d'Orleans became Barye's greatest patron. Barye was commissioned by the Duke in 1834 to execute five great hunting scenes and four animal combat scenes as a surtout de table. Following this commission, interest in Barye's work dramatically increased and numerous casts were ordered by patrons both in France and the United States. As Orleanist patronage declined with the shifting political climate of France, Barye created a partnership in 1845 to market his bronzes. Indeed, it was in Barye's workshop that the serial production of an artist's design first arose as a response to his works' international demand. His atelier was highly acclaimed and among his pupils was Auguste Rodin. Following the fall of the house of Orleans, Barye enjoyed the patronage of Napoleon III and did numerous public commissions for the Emperor. In the 1860s Barye was made a member of the prestigious Institut de France and received the Cross of the Legion of Honor. One of his greatest American patrons was W.T. Walters who, acting as chairman of the Corcoran Gallery of Washington, D.C., honored him by ordering a complete representative collection of over one hundred bronzes, now in the collections of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore and the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, D.C.
Antoine Louis Barye (French, 1796-1875)
Lion et Serpent, A Bronze Figure of a Lion and a Snake
Details
Antoine Louis Barye (French, 1796-1875)
Lion et Serpent, A Bronze Figure of a Lion and a Snake
inscribed 'BARYE'
5 1/8in. (13cm.) high, rich reddish brown patina
Lion et Serpent, A Bronze Figure of a Lion and a Snake
inscribed 'BARYE'
5 1/8in. (13cm.) high, rich reddish brown patina