Antoine-Louis Bayre

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE (Paris, 1795 - 1875).
"Two Arabian horsemen killing a lion".
Patinated bronze.
Presents faults and losses on the musket.
Signed.
Measurements: 36.5 x 39 x 17 cm.
"Two Arabian horsemen killing a lion" by Antoine-Louis Barye (Paris, 1795 - 1875) is one of the most dynamic and technically complex compositions of the French sculptor, recognized for his mastery in the modeling of scenes of animalistic and combat themes. This work, dated around the 1830s, stands out for its compositional drama, which represents with extraordinary realism the moment in which two Arabian horsemen, mounted on agitated horses, face a lion in full fight.
The piece presents a dynamic triangular structure and a meticulous anatomical treatment in both the human figures and the animals. The bronze work reveals an outstanding sculptural sensitivity, capable of capturing the movement in tension, the expressions of aggressiveness and desperation, and the muscular vigor of both the beasts and the riders. In this specimen, the lion's tail falls downwards and a lance of moderate proportions is observed, in addition to the fact that the musket carried by one of the riders is bent and has lost the area of the butt, unlike the version conserved in The Walters Art Museum (Baltimore), where the lance has a greater wingspan, the lion has a raised tail and a spur can also be observed, which is absent in the model analyzed here. Another model with formal differences is found in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., made in 1838 and cast around 1873, which evidences the existence of variants modeled and cast directly by Barye throughout different moments of his career.
These variations evidence the existence of at least three molds of the same subject with small variations as compositional rehearsals, probably conceived as studies and refinements by the artist himself, which was common in his creative process. The technical complexity and thematic exoticism turned this work into a reference of French sculptural orientalism and a piece celebrated by contemporary collectors and critics. In fact, it was recorded in several catalogs of the time, such as the Illustrated Catalog of Fine Bronzes by the famous master Antoine Barye, which includes the work within the private collection of Mrs. Hamilton Carhart of New York and in the patrimonial inventory of the late Hugh L. Bond of Baltimore. It is also mentioned in the commemorative publication Barye: Life and Works of Antoine Louis Barye... in memory of an exhibition... organized in New York .
In the 19th century art scene, Antoine-Louis Barye emerged as a prominent figure, noted for his exceptional talent in animalistic sculpture. His mastery in the representation of animals made him one of the most sought-after sculptors of his time. Although he is recognized for his depictions of animals, his work encompassed a wider range of subjects, such as mythology. He began his training with his father, a goldsmith, and later expanded it with the masters François Joseph Bosio and Antoine-Jean Gros, at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he entered in 1818. He had his own foundry, collaborated with Viollet-le-Duc on a project commissioned by Napoleon III and was master of Auguste Rodin.
He presented his works at the Paris Salon, and created monuments such as the "Lion with Serpent" in the Tuileries Garden (1833), commissioned by the king. He is currently represented in the Louvre and Orsay Museums in Paris, the National Gallery in London, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Albertina in Vienna, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., among other museums around the world.