Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875)

Antoine-Louis Barye was a sculptor who worked during the Romantic Period. He was the first and acclaimed finest sculptor of the French Animaliers School. Almost all Barye sculptures are of wild animals, but he also sculpted horses and mythological creatures. Barye's animal sculptures, especially those of big cats, similar to Lion on Boar, were usually violent in nature.

Barye's sculptures and paintings were inspired by his studies of actual wild animals that were housed at the Jardin de Plantes in Paris. Barye was not financially successful as a sculptor, perhaps because he would not let a bronze leave his studio unless he had deemed it perfect. He began to cold-stamp his casts, giving each sculpture a unique number. His obsession with perfection finally received the accolades he deserved, including a Grand Medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris when he was 71 years old. Barye was also named the first president of the Central Union of Beaux Arts and appointed as a Member of the Institute of France.

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