Organized by the Walters, this exhibition is devoted to the works of Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875), the foremost animal sculptor of the 19th century. The exhibition will include not only his well-known sculptures, but also his oil and watercolor paintings and sketches. Comprising more than130 objects, the exhibition features numerous bronzes, a variety of models in different media, watercolors, and oil paintings drawn primarily from the Walters’ Barye collection, which is generally regarded as the most extensive in existence. These pieces reveal the full range of Barye’s subjects from animal combat scenes and equestrian statues to studies of the human form. Uniquely featured in the Walters’ holdings are casts such as the silver Walking Lion commissioned by Napoleon III in 1863, and the five principal hunt groups from the duke of Orleans’s surtout de table (table centerpiece), which are regarded as one of the key monuments of French Romantic sculpture.
Untamed: The Art of Antoine-Louis Barye is on view through May 6 and is presented by Ferris, Baker Watts, Inc. and The Milton M. Frank and Thomas B. Sprague Foundation, Inc., with lead support from an anonymous donor and Jane and Worth Daniels. Contributing sponsors are Mary B. Hyman and Sara Finnegan Lycett. Additional support provided by Sebbie and Marinos Svolos and Sotheby’s.
A catalogue has been published in conjunction with the exhibition.