Horse Surprised by a Lion (Primary Title)
Horse Attacked by a Lion (Former Title)
Antoine-Louis Barye, French, 1796 - 1875 (Artist)
In the same vein as his contemporaries Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix, Antoine-Louis Barye’s Horse Surprised by a Lion reflects his fascination with the predatory and untamed nature of the animal world. Barye drew exotic animals from life in the Paris zoo, the Jardin des Plantes, and as an important Romantic artist, he challenged the standing hierarchy of subject matter by forgoing works of grand historical importance in favor of less grandiose—yet still emotionally stirring—animal subjects.
inscribed, front center of base: "BARYE"
Gift of Mrs. Nelson L. St. Clair, Jr.
2021: Romantic Bronzes
The Mrs. Nelson L. St. Clair, Jr. Donation of Sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, VMFA , April 24, 2021 -
2016: "The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", The National Sporting Library & Museum, May 6 - July 31, 2016
"The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", University of Richmond, March 3 - April 25, 2016
2001: Nature Leashed and Unleashed: Bayre and 19th Century Animal Sculptures, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Va., February 20 – July 22, 2001
The Mrs. Nelson L. St. Clair, Jr. Donation of Sculptures by Antoine-Louis Barye, VMFA , April 24, 2021 -
2016: "The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", The National Sporting Library & Museum, May 6 - July 31, 2016
"The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts", University of Richmond, March 3 - April 25, 2016
2001: Nature Leashed and Unleashed: Bayre and 19th Century Animal Sculptures, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Va., February 20 – July 22, 2001
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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