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A Lion Striking A Serpent

Statuette
ca. 1850 (made)
Artist/Maker
Atelier Barye (casters)
Barye, Antoine-Louis (modeller)
Place of origin
Paris (made)

This sculpture of a lion was modelled and cast by Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875). There was a fashion in 19th-century France for small-scale animal studies such as this. Bronzes could now be mass produced and the growing middle class was keen to collect luxury goods. Barye was the first and foremost of the sculptors who specialised in this genre, prompting the art critic Gautier's description of him as the "Michelangelo of the ménagerie".

Object details

Category
Sculpture
Object type
Statuette
TitleA Lion Striking A Serpent (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Cast bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Statuette, bronze, Lion striking a Serpent, by Antoine Louis Barye, France, ca. 1850
Physical description
The lion has his left paw upraised above teh coiled serpent. On the base is the signature BARYE.
Dimensions
  • Height: 13.33cm
  • Of base width: 16.19cm
  • Weight: 1.52kg
Object history
Given by Mrs. Elizabeth South.
Subject depicted
Lion
Summary
This sculpture of a lion was modelled and cast by Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875). There was a fashion in 19th-century France for small-scale animal studies such as this. Bronzes could now be mass produced and the growing middle class was keen to collect luxury goods. Barye was the first and foremost of the sculptors who specialised in this genre, prompting the art critic Gautier's description of him as the "Michelangelo of the ménagerie".
Bibliographic references
  • Poletti, M. and Richarme, A. Barye. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures. Paris: 2000, cat.no. A54
  • List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1905 - 1908. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1908, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition with Appendix and Indices. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, 1909, p. 15
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
74-1908

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312734/a-lion-striking-a-serpent-statuette-barye-antoine-louis/
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