"Panthere de Tunis" | Antoine-Louis Barye, Barbedienne

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE
French, 1796-1875

"Panther of Tunisia no. 2"

Patinated sand-cast bronze | signed BARYE in base, signed F. Barbedienne Fondeur to edge of base
Underside incised 24 / Z | posthumously cast after 1875
10 1/4" W x 3 1/2" D x 4 7/8" H

Essay
A fine cast of Barye's Panther of Tunisia no. 2 executed by the foundry of Ferdinand Barbedienne, this sculpture retains it's silky original overall nearly translucent mottled brown patination with complex underlying tones of red, orange and green. Barbedienne acquired the cast of this model at the auction after Barye's death in 1875; this particular example was executed shortly thereafter circa 1880.
Typical of the early posthumous casts, the texture captured directly from the mold is exquisite with only minimal surface tooling required to bring out the details. Originally modeled in 1840, the Panther is restive and curious in his relaxed pose; despite the quiet nature of the sculpture, the raw power of the animal is conveyed in the handsome sculpting of his tense muscles.

Condition:
Exceptional condition; very minor patina wear.  No observed flaws.
References:

Barye: Catalogue Raisonné des Sculptures, Poletti & Richarme, p. 221-2
The Barye Bronzes, A Catalogue Raisonné, Stuart Pivar, p. 166
The Founders and Editors of the Barye Bronzes, J. G. Reinis, p. 43-47 [discussion of the role of the F. Barbedienne firm in production of Barye sculpture], p. 31 [reproduction of Catalogue des Bronzes de A.-L Barye 1874, noting the Panther of Tunis as being 25 cm in length and 13 cm in height with a price of 55 francs]

ref. 102PKJ20W