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Learn MoreLion and Serpent by Antoine-Louis Barye
- This allegorical sculpture of a lion and serpent was created by the famed Antoine-Louis Barye
- The lion represents Louis Philippe and the people of France, and the snake represents Charles X
- Barye earned the reputation of an animalier for his thoughtful renderings of animals
- He became a primary figure in the Romantic Movement of the early 19th century
- Get complete item description here
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Antoine-Louis Barye
1795-1875 | French
Lion and Serpent
Bronze
Signed “Barye 1838”
Modeled by famed French Romantic sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, this rare and regal bronze sculpture, entitled Lion and Serpent, serves as a poignant allegory of King Louis Philippe’s rise to power during the July Revolution of 1830. The lion, displaying a ferocious expression while he roars, pins a hissing snake beneath his front paw. The lion represents Louis Philippe and the people of France, and the snake represents the. . .
1795-1875 | French
Lion and Serpent
Bronze
Signed “Barye 1838”
Modeled by famed French Romantic sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, this rare and regal bronze sculpture, entitled Lion and Serpent, serves as a poignant allegory of King Louis Philippe’s rise to power during the July Revolution of 1830. The lion, displaying a ferocious expression while he roars, pins a hissing snake beneath his front paw. The lion represents Louis Philippe and the people of France, and the snake represents the. . .
Read More
Antoine-Louis Barye
1795-1875 | French
Lion and Serpent
Bronze
Signed “Barye 1838”
Modeled by famed French Romantic sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, this rare and regal bronze sculpture, entitled Lion and Serpent, serves as a poignant allegory of King Louis Philippe’s rise to power during the July Revolution of 1830. The lion, displaying a ferocious expression while he roars, pins a hissing snake beneath his front paw. The lion represents Louis Philippe and the people of France, and the snake represents the ousted Bourbon dynasty and Charles X. An homage to a historical moment and a show of national pride, Barye’s sculptural rendering is a powerful metaphor of leadership and triumph.
Along with his friend and schoolmate, painter Eugène Delacroix, Barye became a primary figure in the Romantic Movement of the early 19th century. He began his career as a goldsmith, apprenticing under famous artists like Martin-Guillaume Biennais, a goldsmith to Napoleon. Often sketching lions and tigers at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, it is said that the sculptor's motto was "Observe nature. What other professor do you need?" In 1831, Barye exhibited his first animal sculpture at the Salon, earning him the reputation of an animalier: an artist who renders animals. Though his ferocious artistic manner often shocked the classicists of the French Academy, Barye is also noted for the innovative techniques he developed as a bronze craftsman and is viewed as an important art historical link between French Romanticism and Realism.
Barye exhibited a plaster cast of Lion and Serpent at the 1836 Salon. Highly lauded, Louis-Philippe purchased the sculpture and installed it in Tuileries Garden; it was later moved to the Louvre. The artist continued to create several variations of the sculpture in several sizes, and the present reduction is a true likeness of the original. Other examples can be found in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Walter Art Museum in Baltimore and the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York.
Dated 1838
8 1/2“ high x 7” wide x 12 1/2“ deep
1795-1875 | French
Lion and Serpent
Bronze
Signed “Barye 1838”
Modeled by famed French Romantic sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, this rare and regal bronze sculpture, entitled Lion and Serpent, serves as a poignant allegory of King Louis Philippe’s rise to power during the July Revolution of 1830. The lion, displaying a ferocious expression while he roars, pins a hissing snake beneath his front paw. The lion represents Louis Philippe and the people of France, and the snake represents the ousted Bourbon dynasty and Charles X. An homage to a historical moment and a show of national pride, Barye’s sculptural rendering is a powerful metaphor of leadership and triumph.
Along with his friend and schoolmate, painter Eugène Delacroix, Barye became a primary figure in the Romantic Movement of the early 19th century. He began his career as a goldsmith, apprenticing under famous artists like Martin-Guillaume Biennais, a goldsmith to Napoleon. Often sketching lions and tigers at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, it is said that the sculptor's motto was "Observe nature. What other professor do you need?" In 1831, Barye exhibited his first animal sculpture at the Salon, earning him the reputation of an animalier: an artist who renders animals. Though his ferocious artistic manner often shocked the classicists of the French Academy, Barye is also noted for the innovative techniques he developed as a bronze craftsman and is viewed as an important art historical link between French Romanticism and Realism.
Barye exhibited a plaster cast of Lion and Serpent at the 1836 Salon. Highly lauded, Louis-Philippe purchased the sculpture and installed it in Tuileries Garden; it was later moved to the Louvre. The artist continued to create several variations of the sculpture in several sizes, and the present reduction is a true likeness of the original. Other examples can be found in prestigious museum collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Walter Art Museum in Baltimore and the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York.
Dated 1838
8 1/2“ high x 7” wide x 12 1/2“ deep
Read Less
| Maker: | Barye, Antoine-Louise |
| Period: | 1816-1918 |
| Origin: | France |
| Type: | Sculpture |
| Depth: | 12.5 Inches |
| Width: | 7.0 Inches |
| Height: | 8.5 Inches |
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Buy with Confidence
At M.S. Rau, we are committed to building a long-term, rewarding relationship with each and every client. That’s why your purchase is backed by our 125% guarantee.
Learn More
