Antoine-Louis Barye (1795 -1875)
was a French sculptor of romantic realism who was known for his realistic depictions of animals, especially those engaged in life-and-death struggles.
Barye was born on September 24, 1795 in Paris. He became a well known sculptor as well as a sculptural animalier. In 1809, when the young artist was just 14 years old, he already developed great interest in art and started to learn the handcraft of a metal-engraver.
During the war and the time of the Russian Campaign of Napoleon in 1812 he had to stop his education for a while, because he had to do military service. At the military he was working at the stuff of engineers, where he learned to draw and modelling. In 1814 he could quit his service and continue his career as an artist.
The life of Antoine-Louis Barye
During the war and the time of the Russian Campaign of Napoleon in 1812 he had to stop his education for a while, because he had to do military service. At the military he was working at the stuff of engineers, where he learned to draw and modelling. In 1814 he could quit his service and continue his career as an artist.
Antoine-Louis Barye learned the handcraft of engraving. His later master was François Joseph Bosio. The painter Baron Antoine-Jean Gros was also his master. In 1818 he started to attend the École des Beaux Arts. After he got the permission to take part in the exhibition of École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts he got honoured with a price.
The name of his artwork, a medallion, was "Milo of Crotana Devoured by a Lion". The theme of Milo was the official school theme for the medallion competition of the year 1819.
Influences on his works
Around 1820 the carver created "Hercules with the Erymanthean Boar". He sculpted the portrait medallion "Young Man in a Beret" (1823) in bronze, as well as a "Portrait of the Founder Richard" in 1827, in which only a head and neck are shown. He also sculpted "Poised Stag" in 1829.
Barye took part in several exhibitions at the École des Beaux-Arts as well as at the Salon in Paris and got honoured a lot.
Later he got a job as a goldsmith at the company of Jaques Henri Fauconnier. While working for Fauconnier, Barye also executed figures and made drawings, often at the Jardin des Plantes, besides the work at the studio of the goldsmith. During this time he executed the sculpture "Tiger Devouring a Gavial Crocodile" (1831) Another animal sculpture of a snake and a lion brought him the dubbing of the legion of honour of the Duke of Orléans, who became one of his clients. The descendant's estate of Antoine-Louis Barye, who died on July 27, 1875 at the age of 80, is nowadays exhibited at the Museum des Luxembourg.
The R. W. Norton Art Gallery is holding some works of him.
Take a look in our shop and see the large art collection. All of the works are made of Bronze and signed with the artists name.