Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
The son of a goldsmith, Parisian born Antoine-Louis Barye was a sculptor of animal subjects and acclaimed, not only for his apparent skill but as the founder of what became known as the French Animaliers School. Among his patrons were representatives of the state government and royalty, including the Duke of Orleans and the Dukes of Luynes, Montpensier and Nemours.
Well compensated financially, Barye was able to buy the best of materials and hire the country's most skilled foundry craftsmen. The foundry he hired was owned by Ferdinand Barbedienne and casts from this period were stamped with the letters, FB. However, he did not make a lot of money from his work because he was such a perfectionist that often he would not sell his work because he thought it was not "quite right." In 1848, he declared bankruptcy and his molds and plaster casts were sold along with the copyrights.
Barye's specialty was aroused, angry-seeming wild game such as lions and tigers and elephants, but he also did equestrian groups and mythology figures. In order to do realistic depictions of animal anatomy, he spent much time at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. His early training was as an apprentice to a metal engraver, but being drafted in the army in 1812 ended that education. In 1832, he had established his studio, and unique at that time was his method of cold stamping his bronze casts so that each one had a special number. He had his first entry, The Milo of Croton, in the Paris Salon in 1819, winning a second prize. In 1831, a work regarded as a masterpiece, Tiger Devouring a Gavial, was in the Salon and purchased for the Luxembourg Gardens, which is now in the Louvre. However, many of his subsequent Salon submissions were rejected and so angered him that between 1836 and 1851, he refused to submit entries. In 1851, he again exhibited at the Salon with Jaguar Devouring A Hare, and this work, like the 1831 entry, was placed in the Luxembourg Gardens and eventually in the Louvre.
In spite of problems with the Salon, Barye received many accolades for his work, and the period of 1837–48 was considered the most productive time of his career. However, in 1848, when he lost control of his work and it was reproduced by others including Martin and Barbedienne, the sculptures, according to some art professionals, are not as skillfully executed. In 1848, after his bankruptcy, Barye became director of Casts and Models in the Louvre, until 1850, when he was replaced by Emmanuel Fremiet. It was a very difficult time for him. However, within a few years, he began receiving accolades for the quality and uniqueness of his work, and people began appreciating the powerful images of his sculpture, especially the wildlife in their natural surroundings. In 1854, he was appointed Master of Zoological Drawing in the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle and held this position until his death in 1875.
1870s Realist Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1870s Realist Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1880s French School Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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Early 19th Century Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1770s Baroque Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1970s Realist Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1970s Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1950s French School Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1960s Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1960s Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1910s American Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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1950s Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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17th Century French School Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
Paper, Watercolor, Engraving
1930s American Modern Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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Early 19th Century Realist Antoine-Louis Barye Prints and Multiples
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- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Antoine-Louis Barye was famous for his sculptures involving animals, which notably included Hercules Sitting on a Bull, Poised Stag and Lion With a Snake, among others. He was born in France and lived from 1795 to 1875. Shop a range of authentic Antoin-Louis Barye sculptures from top sellers on 1stDibs.