Antoine-Louis Barye

Antoine-Louis Barye
Portrait by Léon Bonnat
Born24 September 1795 (1795-09-24)
Paris, France
Died25 June 1875 (1875-06-26)
Paris, France
EducationÉcole des Beaux-Arts
OccupationSculptor

Antoine-Louis Barye (24 September 1795 – 25 June 1875) was a French sculptor. He is best known for making sculptures of animals. Artists who make animal sculptures are called animaliers. Barye was an important artist of the Romanticism movement.

His son, Alfred Barye, was also a sculptor.

Early life

Barye was born in Paris. He first trained as a goldsmith and worked with his father. Later, he studied sculpture and drawing. In 1818, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts.

He often studied animals at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. He watched them closely and made drawings and small models.

Career

Barye became famous for his animal sculptures, especially lions, tigers, and other wild animals. He made both small bronze works and large statues.

Some of his best-known works include:

  • Lion with a Snake
  • Theseus and the Minotaur
  • Jaguar Devouring a Hare
  • Roger and Angelica on the Hippogriff

In 1831, he showed large animal sculptures at the Paris Salon. His work was praised for its strength and movement.

Later life

Barye had money problems during his life. In 1848, he went bankrupt, and many of his sculpture molds were sold. Some copies made at that time were of poor quality.