Exhibition Highlight: Barye's Lion Crushing a Serpent

From almost the moment it was finished, Lion Crushing a Serpent was recognized as exceptional. In addition to its terrifying realism, contemporary commentators also saw it as an allegory in support of the July Monarchy. As such, it was commissioned for the Tuileries Gardens in Paris by King Louis-Philippe and was on display there from 1836 to 1911. The original sculpture became so popular that Barye copied it hundreds of times in other sizes. Some of these copies even served as diplomatic gifts from the French government. A selection of Barye's copies are displayed here. As the sculpture's popularity grew, reproductions began to be made and sold as collectable objects.

French artist Antoine-Louis Barye was well-known and even somewhat controversial for his realism in depicting animals, especially animals engaged in the struggle for life and death. For example, in order to depict lions as accurately as possible, the artist went so far as to make hundreds of sketches of live and autopsied lions which he undertook with his friend and fellow artist, Eugène Delacroix. He then made several small models to work out the details of his animated compositions, some that will also be on display in the exhibition.

In addition to revolutionizing the way that animals were depicted, Barye also pushed the boundaries of making bronze sculpture. Because of the difficulty of pouring large quantities of molten bronze into a single mold, most large-scale works in bronze were assembled from several smaller pieces, which were fastened together so skillfully that you cannot discern the joins. This technical challenge makes the scale of Lion Crushing a Serpent, Barye's masterpiece, which was created by one bronze pour into a single mold, even more remarkable. A testament to this triumph is a proud inscription on the base of the sculpture made by the founder who helped Barye realize his artistic vision.

The Louvre sees itself as an encyclopedic museum, and its method of collecting is a comprehensive one. In addition to masterworks like Bayre's Lion Crushing a Serpent, they have also collected studies, drawings, models, and copies associated with it to provide a complete picture of the masterwork, from its creation to its dissemination through reproductions in bronze made by the artist.