Walking Lion
Relief
ca. 1838-1841 (made), ca. 1882 (cast)
ca. 1838-1841 (made), ca. 1882 (cast)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This statuette is by Antoine Louis Barye (1795-1875) who exhibited his first animal sculpture in the Paris Salon of 1831 when he was dubbed an 'Animalier', a maker of animals. Initially applied with derogatory overtones, this term became widely used for sculptors - of whom Barye was first and foremost - who specialised in this genre. He was referred to as the 'Michelangelo of the Menagerie' by the contemporaneous art critic Théophile Gautier.
Barye studied animals closely. He attended dissections of animals at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, where he served as the Master of Zoological Drawing from 1854 until his death. But he was also intensely interested in what lay underneath the physical appearance of animals - their inner vitality - and in this sense was in tune with his romantic contemporaries, for whom exotic or wild beasts held a particular fascination.
Although he obtained public commissions and enjoyed the patronage of the Dukes of Orleans, Luynes, Montpensier, and Nemours, Barye specialised in the relatively large-scale production small-scale animal sculptures, often cast by the foundry Barbédienne, but in this case by Hector Brame. The expanding commercial market of the middle class helped ensure that his and other animalier sculptures gained in popularity through the latter half of the 19th century.
Barye studied animals closely. He attended dissections of animals at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, where he served as the Master of Zoological Drawing from 1854 until his death. But he was also intensely interested in what lay underneath the physical appearance of animals - their inner vitality - and in this sense was in tune with his romantic contemporaries, for whom exotic or wild beasts held a particular fascination.
Although he obtained public commissions and enjoyed the patronage of the Dukes of Orleans, Luynes, Montpensier, and Nemours, Barye specialised in the relatively large-scale production small-scale animal sculptures, often cast by the foundry Barbédienne, but in this case by Hector Brame. The expanding commercial market of the middle class helped ensure that his and other animalier sculptures gained in popularity through the latter half of the 19th century.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Walking Lion |
Materials and techniques | Bronze |
Brief description | Relief of a Walking Lion, Antoine-Louis Barye (1765-1875), cast by Hector Brame (1831-1899), bronze, France (Paris), first edition 1838-1841; this cast ca. 1882 |
Physical description | Bronze relief of a walking Lion |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions | BARYE signature cast through from the model (No foundry mark visible) |
Object history | Purchased in 1882 from Monsieur Seryier in Paris for use as a Schools Example. Transferred to the V&A’s Circulation Department in 1914 [Later transferred to BGM and to A&S in 1982] |
Subject depicted | |
Association | |
Summary | This statuette is by Antoine Louis Barye (1795-1875) who exhibited his first animal sculpture in the Paris Salon of 1831 when he was dubbed an 'Animalier', a maker of animals. Initially applied with derogatory overtones, this term became widely used for sculptors - of whom Barye was first and foremost - who specialised in this genre. He was referred to as the 'Michelangelo of the Menagerie' by the contemporaneous art critic Théophile Gautier. Barye studied animals closely. He attended dissections of animals at the Museum of Natural History in Paris, where he served as the Master of Zoological Drawing from 1854 until his death. But he was also intensely interested in what lay underneath the physical appearance of animals - their inner vitality - and in this sense was in tune with his romantic contemporaries, for whom exotic or wild beasts held a particular fascination. Although he obtained public commissions and enjoyed the patronage of the Dukes of Orleans, Luynes, Montpensier, and Nemours, Barye specialised in the relatively large-scale production small-scale animal sculptures, often cast by the foundry Barbédienne, but in this case by Hector Brame. The expanding commercial market of the middle class helped ensure that his and other animalier sculptures gained in popularity through the latter half of the 19th century. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | S.EX.120-1888 |
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Record created | October 6, 2008 |
Record URL |
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