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Antoine-Louis Barye (French, 1795-1875)
‘Theseus Fighting The Centaur Bianor’ – A Patinated Bronze Figural Group
£14,000
A Fine Patinated Bronze Group, Entitled 'Thesée Combattant le Centaure Bianor' ('Theseus Fighting the Centaur Bianor'), By Antoine Louis Barye (1795-1875). Signed...
Dimensions
Height: 41 cm (17 in)Width: 16 cm (7 in)
Depth: 6 cm (3 in)
PrintDescription
A Fine Patinated Bronze Group, Entitled ‘Thesée Combattant le Centaure Bianor’ (‘Theseus Fighting the Centaur Bianor’), By Antoine Louis Barye (1795-1875).
Signed ‘A. L. BARYE’ and stamped ‘F. BARBEDIENNE’.
The model conceived Circa 1850. This example cast as part of a limited edition by Ferdinand Barbediene, France, Circa 1880.
Barye portrays a pivotal moment in the battle between the Lapiths of Thessaly and the centaurs of Arcadia, where Theseus rescues Hippodamia, the daughter of the Lapith king, from abduction. Thesueus depicted as a classical nude hero, straddles the centaur Bianor’s back and firmly grips his neck, ready to strike a fatal blow with his club.
The cast derives from a model shown in plaster at the Paris Salon of 1850 (no.3171) to great acclaim, after a hiatus of the artist exhibiting. The contemporary critic and poet Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) wrote in response to viewing the work that it “showed that this Romantic who had been banned by the [Salon] jury was the modern sculptor who comes closest to Phidias and Greek sculpture.” Gautier praised Barye’s innovative approach to antiquity, contrasting it with the degraded classicism favoured by the sculptors of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He described the work as “the triumph of the spirit over matter…over the insatiable world of animal instinct.”
Barye had previously produced an earlier sketch model between 1846 and 1848, but the final 1850 model exhibits notable differences, with a higher rock base and the centaur’s torso leaning farther back. Its limbs are also more contracted, whilst foliage is added to the remodelled rocky base.
A cast of the sketch model of Theseus Fighting an Centaur, c.-1846-1848, cast by1873, Corcoran Collection, National Gallery Of Art, Washington, DC. Image Public Domain.
The group was edited posthumously by Barbedienne in four reductions, this being an example of the smallest size. Examples are held in the Musée du Louvre (inv. no. OA 5726), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 10.133.4) and the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (inv. no. 2014.136.279).
Under the direction of the sculptor, Marqueste, Barbedienne also produced a three-metre cast of the model, which was to surmount the monument to Barye, designed by the architect, Stanislas Bernier, funded by American collectors, and erected on boulevard Henri IV on the île Saint-Louis, Paris, in 1894.
Watercolour desing for the ‘Monument à Barye’, by Stanislas Louis Bernier (1845 -1919), 1891-1892. ©Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
Although Barye listed the sculpture in his later sales catalogues as Theseus and the Centaur Bianor, the initial title given was ‘Centaur and Lapith’, the literary source taken from an incident from the battle between the Lapiths and the Centaurs described in Book XII of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Theseus, King of Athens and one of the great heroes of Greek mythology, was invited to attend the wedding of his good friend Pirithous, the king of the Lapiths, and Hippodamia. The king also invited his neighbours, the half-human, half-horse Centaurs. The centaurs became drunk and unruly, attempting to abduct the bride and other female guests. Swiftly, Theseus, renowned for his valour, stepped into the fray, engaging in combat to repel the Centaurs and successfully safeguard the bride.
Then leapt on tall Bianor’s back (who bore
No mortal burden but his own, before);
Press’d with his knees his sides; the double man,
His speed with spurs increas’d, unwilling ran.
One hand the hero fastn’d on his locks;
His other ply’d him with repeated strokes.
The club rung round his ears, and batter’d brows;
He falls; and lashing up his heels, his rider throws.
(Book XII -342-350 of Ovid’s Metamorphoses: Translation by Sir Samuel Garth, John Dryden, et al)
Though best known for his Romantic animal sculptures this dynamic composition reflects Barye’s classical training under François-Joseph Bosio (1768-1845) and an acute awareness of classical sources such as the ancient metopes on the Parthenon.
Lapith fighting a centaur. South Metope 31, & 32, Parthenon, ca. 447–433 BC. Wikipedia, Public Domain
Barye’s interpretation of the battle is indebted to the iconography of the Centauromachy (the battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs), depicted on the south side metopes of the Parthenon. A common motif in classical art symbolizing the struggle between order and chaos, this theme was central to the Parthenon’s decorative program; the west side illustrating the battle against the Amazons (Amazonomachy); the east depicting the battle between the gods and giants (Gigantomachy); and the north side featuring the Greeks versus the Trojans. Of these, the Centauromachy panels are the best preserved.
‘Theseus Fighting the Centaur Bianor’ also draws heavily from Giambologna’s (Giovanni da Bologna 1529-1608) Hercules and the Centaur (circa 1594, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence), particularly in the centaur’s posture at the moment of defeat. Theseus calmly pins down the centaur’s head as he prepares to deliver the fatal blow, a motif borrowed from Giambologna.
Giambologna (ca. 1524-1608), ‘Hercules fighting the centaur Nessos’, circa 1599, Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy. Image Public Domain.
In Greek mythology, Hercules killed the centaur Nessus after he attempted to abduct Deianeira, but Nessus’ poisoned blood later caused Hercules’ death. The son of Centauros, Nessus participated in the battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs. Later, he became a ferryman on the river Euenos, where he encountered Heracles and his wife, Deianeira. Attempting to abduct Deianeira, Nessus was fatally shot by Heracles with a poisoned arrow. Before dying, he gave Deianeira his blood-soaked tunic, deceitfully claiming it would ensure Heracles’ fidelity. However, the blood was tainted with poison, leading to Heracles’ eventual demise.
Appealingly Barye merges both Neoclassical and Romantic styles in ‘Theseus Slaying the Centaur Bianor’, the mythological subject matter and the idealized portrayal of Theseus—strong, composed, and heroic—align with Neoclassical ideals, while the dramatic, action-packed moment of battle reflects Romantic sensibilities. Barye’s precise and energetic portrayal of the centaur’s muscular struggle brings the mythical creature to life with remarkable detail.
In 19th-century France, a growing middle class fuelled a demand for luxury goods, including bronze sculptures, which became more accessible due to improved production techniques. Barye became one of the leading figures in this art form, and was recognized as the first “animalier”—a term initially used pejoratively, but later embraced by sculptors specializing in animal subjects. He exhibited his first animal sculpture at the Paris Salon in 1831.
Bayre’s close study of live animals at Parisian zoos and menageries informed his detailed, lifelike depictions. This expertise is evident in the depiction of the Centaur struggling against Theseus, the muscular body of the Centaur captured in dynamic tension as it twists to escape, conveying a sense of violent motion. Barye’s meticulous attention to anatomical detail renders the mythical figure almost lifelike.
Both the hero’s human form and the centaur’s equine body are sculpted with equal skill and artistry in this superb mythological work, showcasing Barye’s mastery. As Théophile Gautier remarked,
“People are astonished that a sculptor who modelled animals so well could have such success when he fashioned men and heroes, as if the form were not the same under all its apparent diversity, as if it could have any secrets hidden from an artist gifted with an eye as piercing as Barye’s.”
[Quoted in De Kay, Charles, 1848-1935, and Antoine-Louis Barye. Barye; Life And Works of Antoine Louis Barye: … In Memory of an Exhibition of His Bronzes, Paintings, And Water-colors, Held At New-York, In Aid of the Fund of His Monument At Paris. New York: Barye monument association, 1889.]
Date
Circa 1880
Origin
France
Medium
Patinated Bronze
Signature
Signed 'A. L. BARYE' and stamped 'F. BARBEDIENNE'.
Léon Bonnat, Portrait of Antoine Louis Barye, c.1885, Walters Art Museum, Public Domain
Antoine-Louis Barye was dubbed the ‘Michelangelo of the Menagerie’ by the celebrated art critic, Théophile Gautier, in L’Illustration, May 1866. As a Romantic French sculptor most famous for his work as an ‘animalier’, a sculptor of animals, Barye achieved international acclaim during his lifetime, but his celebrity has grown ever since and today he is remembered as one of the most important and identifiable sculptors of the nineteenth century. Born in Paris in 1795 (a date revised in the 1990s from 1796 as a result of Martin Sonnabend’s recalculation of the Revolutionary calendar), Barye worked with his father, a goldsmith from Lyons, then at the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to Fourrier, an engraver of military equipment. Later he switched to the jewellery trade and learned the technique of moulding reliefs from Martin-Guillaume Biennais (active 1800-1832), then master goldsmith to Napoléon. Barye’s official schooling in sculpture began in 1816 under François-Joseph Bosio (1768-1845) and the painter Baron Gros (1771-1835). In these young years Barye observed the most sophisticated technical practices of the Parisian goldsmiths as well as encountering neo-classical and antique models, an influence that would have lasting effect.
In 1819 Barye took part in the competition of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and was runner up with a medallion of ‘Milo of Crotona Devoured by a Lion’. He won second prize in 1820 with his figure of Cain cursed by God. Barye worked with the goldsmith Jacques-Henri Fauconnier (1779-1839) from 1823 to 1831, continued to practise modelling in his spare time, studying ancient sculpture at the Louvre.and made his Salon debut in 1827 with a selection of busts.
The other experience of his youth which was essential to Barye, was his dedicated studies of wild animals in the Paris Zoo. All these varied interests were fused together in the driving ambition and creative energy of this remarkable sculptor to produce for the Salon of 1831 a work that laid siege to the Parisian sculptural establishment. The plaster model of ‘Tiger Devouring a Gavial’ was in every way unprecedented, and even the basically unsympathetic critic Delecluze was forced to admit that the group was ‘the strongest and most significant work of sculpture in the whole Salon’ – this marked the turning point in Barye’s career. He established his own studio and was awarded the Légion d’Honneur in 1833 and was promoted to chevalier in 1855. Triumphant recognition came early when the Minister of the Interior purchased Bayre’s monumental plaster of ‘Lion Crushing a Serpent’ at the 1833 Salon and had it cast in bronze to be displayed outside the Louvre. The pendant for which, ‘Seated Lion’, was commissioned in 1846. Ensuing state commissions included a colossal eagle to crown a triumphant arch at the Etoile, which was never completed, and in the early 1840s a monumental effigy of Saint Clotilde for the Church of the Madeleine, Paris. During these years Barye received the patronage of the royal family who began to commission him to produce small scale works, the most famous of which was a surtout de table representing hunts of different regions and historical periods for the Duc d’Orléans in 1834.
Barye is thought to have had limited formal schooling, the extensive knowledge of science and art history becoming of his brilliance was wrought from experience and self-taught. His artistic genius overcame such limitations and he fraternised with the highest echelons of society, becoming a figure of the artistic establishment. However, his rise was not without setbacks, notably only rarely exhibiting at the Salon after 1837 when his surtout elements were rejected. Of greater impact was the death of the duc d’Orléans in 1842 and the subsequent Revolution of February 1848, after which Barye was unable to capitalize on royal patronage, and embarked on a new venture which would come to define his career.
Utilising his skill with metalworking, Barye saw the opportunity to commercialise his smaller figural and ornamental works by undertaking editions of small-scale bronzes firstly with the foundry Maison Basse from 1844, then independently and in partnership with Emile Martin from 1845 to 1857. Barye maintained artistic control and either directly played a part in, or oversaw, the casting process to ensure the standard of limited editions. This serialisation assured Bayre’s legacy by making his art more attainable to the new middle classes and known across Europe and the Americas. In his widely respected catalogue raisonné, published in 1974, Stuart Pivar aptly refers to a certain ‘quality’ about Barye bronzes, which renders them ’eminently collectable’.
Under the Second Empire, Bayre’s reputation grew steadily. He obtained several important State commissions, became master of zoological drawing at the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, where the young Rodin briefly studied with him in 1863. He won a gold medal for technical excellence in the industrial arts section of the Paris 1855 Universal Exhibition. Finding himself more in favour than ever under Napoléon III he was showered with distinctions including being elected to the Institut de France in 1868. Barye once again received prestigious government commissions for monumental sculpture, including architectural sculpture for the Pont Neuf and the façade of the Louvre. Unfortunately, the downfall of Napoléon III adversely affected Barye’s work, which included a series of Napoleonic statues which were hastily removed from public view. Barye died in Paris in 1875, and after an elaborate funeral befitting his artistic stature he was buried at Père-Lachaise Cemetery. The Vente Atelier Barye was held at hôtel Drouot, Paris, 7-12 February 1876 where the rights of reproduction to Barye’s models were bought by the Brame and Barbedienne foundries.
Barye was a master of anatomical form, whether human or animal, and established a benchmark for animal sculpture. His representations of predatory violence in the wild, such as his royal stag brought down by Scottish hounds, wowed critics and the Victorians especially showed a fondness for what they considered to be the high morality of this type of animal drama. It is an impressive indication of Barye’s pure aesthetic qualities that his sculpture resonates more strongly today than equivalent paintings. In a career spanning half a century Barye had a prodigious output of bronzes covering every aspect of animal life, from the domestic to the exotic, embued with a realism and naturalism and a meticulous attention to anatomical detail.
Makers Bibliography:
Pivar, Stuart ‘Barye Bronzes: A Catalogue Raisonné’, Antique Collectors Club, 1974.
Cooper, Jeremy ’19th Century Romantic Bronzes, French, English and American Bronzes, 1830-1915′; New York Graphic Society, 1975.
Kjellberg, Pierre ‘Les Bronzes du XIX Siècle’, Editions de l’Amateur, 1987, pps. 54-84.
Poletti, Michel and Richarme, Alain ‘Barye : catalogue raisonné des sculptures’, Gallimard, 2000.
Arsene, Alexandre ‘A.L. Barye’ Kessinger Publishing, 2010.
G. F. Benge, Antoine-Louis Barye. Sculptor of Romantic Realism, London, 1984, pp. 48-9.
M. Poletti and A. Richarme, Barye. Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Paris, 2000, no. F33, p.109.
W. R. Johnston and S. Kelly, Untamed: The Art of Antoine-Louis Barye, exhib. cat. The Walters Art Museum, Munich/ London/ New York, 2006, no. 63, pp. 164-5
L’ art – revue hebdomadaire illustrée, January 1875, Genevay, Antoine, ‘A. L. Barye 1796-1875’, p.388-389. https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16675.172
De Kay, Charles, 1848-1935, and Antoine-Louis Barye. Barye; Life And Works of Antoine Louis Barye: … In Memory of an Exhibition of His Bronzes, Paintings, And Water-colors, Held At New-York, In Aid of the Fund of His Monument At Paris. New York: Barye monument association, 1889.
A monument to Antoine Louis Barye, William R. Johnston, The Magazine ANTIQUES, October 2006. https://www.themagazineantiques.com/article/a-monument-to-antoine-louis-barye/
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