"Panther Seizing a Deer" | Antoine-Louis Barye

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE
French, 1796-1875

"Panthère Saissant un Cerf" (Panther Seizing a Stag, on a terrace with profiles)

Sand-cast bronze with verde autumnal patination
Signed in base BARYE, verso foundry marked F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEURS
Posthumous cast after 1876

14 1/2" H x 9" D x 22" W

This grande panthere is the largest version of this model offered by Barye and later by Barbedienne, measuring approximately 22" in overall width. It features an undulating terrace with a naturalistic grounding from which the panther leaps to attack the moving stag. The model was initially made over a freeform base, while this beautifully edged terrasse avec profils is the posthumous invention of the Barbedienne foundry. An example of the Barbedienne cast is featured in Poletti & Richarme (A 81, p. 216) with the same dimensions.

While the date of its conception is not known, it was first featured in Barye's catalog in 1857 as no. 55 for 350 francs. Barbedienne acquired the model on February 11th of 1876 for 5000 francs (around $ 152,000 USD in today's terms) and began issuing the model in 1877 for 750 francs.

As the franc was tied to the price of gold up through the beginning of World War I, we can reliably adjust for today's prices to (as of this writing where gold trades at $ 3444/troy ounce) a Barbedienne gallery price of $ 22,870 for this model. That price held firm at 750 French francs until after 1911 where under the partnership of Leblanc-Barbedienne the model repriced to 900 francs by 1920 and 1000 francs by 1925.

Condition: Very fine original condition. Trace wear to the patina, including spot of loss under the tail and rubbing to the paws. Cleaned and sealed in conservator's wax. Ready to place.

ref. 507PVK15W