- 136
Antoine-Louis Barye
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Antoine-Louis Barye
- lion au serpent (lion and serpent)
- signed and dated: BARYE 1838
bronze, light-mid brown patina
Condition
Overall the condition of the bronze is very good. There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age and handling, including a few minor nicks and scratches. There are a few minor patches of greening and spotting. There are a few minor spots of black paint, including to the forelock above the lion's proper left eye.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The drama and savagery of Barye's Lion and Serpent created a sensation when the model was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1833. The natural energy of the powerful, roaring lion pitted against the swift, deadly bite of the snake presented a radical change in sculptural form, especially when compared to the more static, classicizing sculptures it was exhibited amongst. The French novelist Alfred de Musset (1810-1857), wrote, 'The lion roars! The serpent hisses. What rage is in that snarling mask, in that sideward gaze, in the bristling fur of its back! What delicacy in that paw set upon the prey!' (Musset, op. cit. p. 172.)
The present bronze dates to Barye's life time and is a particularly fine and well chiselled cast with an attractive mid-brown patina. It is distinguished by the addition of the date of 1838, the year that the reduction, termed Lion au Serpent No. 1 by Poletti and Richarme, was created.
RELATED LITERATURE
A. de Musset, 'Salon de 1836,' Revue des Deux Mondes, 2 (1836), p. 172; M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Barye. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures (Paris, 2000), pp. 175-6, no. A52; W. R. Johnston and S. Kelly, Untamed. The Art of Antoine-Louis Barye (Munich, London and New York, 2006), pp. 96-102, nos. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20;
The present bronze dates to Barye's life time and is a particularly fine and well chiselled cast with an attractive mid-brown patina. It is distinguished by the addition of the date of 1838, the year that the reduction, termed Lion au Serpent No. 1 by Poletti and Richarme, was created.
RELATED LITERATURE
A. de Musset, 'Salon de 1836,' Revue des Deux Mondes, 2 (1836), p. 172; M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Barye. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures (Paris, 2000), pp. 175-6, no. A52; W. R. Johnston and S. Kelly, Untamed. The Art of Antoine-Louis Barye (Munich, London and New York, 2006), pp. 96-102, nos. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20;