Terms and conditions of use
Walking lion
(Lion qui marche)
(c. 1840); cast 1900
Medium
bronze
Measurements
29.8 × 44.4 × 16.3 cm (overall)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Felton Bequest, 1927
Gallery location
19th Century European Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
Described by the influential critic Théophile Gautier as ‘the Michelangelo of the menagerie’, Barye studied animals closely, and in 1854 was appointed master of zoological drawing at the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, where Auguste Rodin was one of his students. In addition to having a masterly technique, Barye achieved a high
degree of anatomical accuracy in his work, combining his knowledge and skill with a scholarly understanding of artistic precedents. He was influenced by the stylish flair of Italian Mannerist and Baroque art, as well as by the solid forms of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, and the exotic subject matter in this work has classical
antecedents.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
France
Inscription
cast in top of metal base l.l.: BARYE
Accession Number
2845-D3
Department
International Sculpture
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Physical description
Bronze, patina browns and greens.