Bull

model n.d., cast c. 1857/1873

Antoine-Louis Barye

Associated Names
Antoine-Louis Barye

Sculptor, French, 1795 - 1875

The sculpture depicts a muscular bull with its head lowered and one foreleg raised. The bull appears to be in motion, emphasizing its powerful stance. It is made of dark-colored material, likely bronze, with a rich patina that includes greenish hues from oxidation. The surface is smooth and intricately detailed, highlighting the bull's muscles and form. It stands on a rectangular base that mimics the ground texture. The sculpture showcases the bull's physique and posture, dominating the space.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.
On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G21

Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Purchased 1873 from the artist by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington;[1] acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art.
[1] The sculpture is one of 116 bronzes acquired in two groups directly from the artist, one in 1873 and the other in 1874. According to the Register of Bronzes Etc. Belonging to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the group acquired in 1873 was selected for the Corcoran by William T. Walters, the prominent Baltimore collector and a Corcoran trustee, "in company with Barye." (See: "Register of Bronzes Etc. Belonging to the Corcoran Gallery of Art," 1873-1946, Record Group 5.1 [COR.0005.1.RG], Gallery registrar's office records, 1869-2007, Series 1: Accessions 1869- [inclusive], Special Collections Research Center, George Washington University Libraries, Washington, DC; accessed on-line 30 November 2016: https://archive.org/details/corc_registerofbronzes).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1978

  • Antoine Louis Barye: A Selection of Bronzes from the Permanent Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, 5 July - 10 September 1978.

1984

  • Animals: Tradition and Fantasy in Animal Sculpture, Public Art Trust, Washington, 20 September 1984 - 20 January 1985.

1988

  • Antoine-Louis Barye: The Corcoran Collection, Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery, Houston; The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, 1988-1990, unnumbered catalogue.

Bibliography

2000

  • Poletti, Michel, and Alain Richarme. Barye: catalogue raisonné des sculptures. Paris, 2000: 322, under A177.

Inscriptions

on top of the base: BARYE

Wikidata ID

Q63863662

You may be interested in

Loading Results