"Tiger Surprising an Antelope" | Antoine-Louis Barye

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE
French, 1796-1875

"Tigre Surprenant une Antilope (terrasse sans profil)" (1862)

Green, brown and red patinated sand-cast bronze over original raised rim | signed BARYE to the naturalistic base

14 3/4" H x 12" D x 21 1/2" W (with base); 13 1/2" H (bronze)

Cast circa 1880 almost certainly by the foundry of Hector Brame, who acquired rights to the model in 1876 after Barye's death for 2400 francs. Brame also acquired rights to the version of this sculpture raised on a shaped base. Notable in this model are the positively brilliant applications of many layers of patination to create a vivid translucent and visually captivating surface: lower layers of red-oxide and rich browns with black patination applied to reside only in the recesses with sparing application of a verdigris. The present example is raised on its original burnished bronze plinth with molded upper edge, a somewhat uncommon treatment that would have been a costly "upgrade" when purchasing from the foundry - it would have had a plaque on the front originally, this now absent.

Extraordinarily powerful and finely textured.

For similar examples, see Christie's, New York, 25 April 2003, lot 138, in a simple brown patina without a raised plinth; achieved $ 14,340 USD.

Literature:

BARYE, Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Polleti & Richarme, Gallimard, 2000, p. 201

Condition: Very fine original condition, rubbing wear to the patina in a few areas throughout revealing lower layers of the patination; one replaced steel screw affixing the rim to the base; surface carefully cleaned and sealed in conservator's wax; model would have had a brass placard on the front at one point, this now absent. Ready to place.

ref. 507SJK18W