Provenance

(George A. Lucas, Paris, 1874-1909).[1] (Bernard Black Gallery, New York), until 1969; Bernard Black and Hugues-W. Nadeau, New York and Europe;[2] (their sale, Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, 3 December 1971, no. 48); purchased by (Lock Galleries, New York) for Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, Upperville, Virginia;[3] gift 1980 to NGA.
[1] George Aloysius Lucas (1824-1909) was a Baltimore native residing in Paris from 1857 until his death, who helped to shape many important French and American collections as agent to private and museum patrons. He was crucial to Barye's lifetime commercial success, and to disseminating the serial work after the sculptor's death (Lillian M.C. Randall, ed., The Diary of George A. Lucas: An American Art Agent in Paris, 1857-1909, Princeton, 1979: 1:3-32; Glenn F. Benge, Antoine-Louis Barye. Sculptor of Romantic Realism, University Park, Pennsylvania, 1969: 1:60-68). The inscription on the base of this cast reflects his last known address. Lucas lived in an apartment building on the rue de l'Arc de Triomphe beginning in 1861, but its number changed from "41" to "21" in 1874 (Randall 1979, 1:33). Since his private collection (now at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Gallery), has no examples of this subject (see The George A. Lucas Collection of the Maryland Institute, Exh. cat., Baltimore Museum of Art], Baltimore, 1965, nos. 343-416), this cast may be among several that Lucas bought and sold during his career. For example, after arranging for a version for his associate Samuel P. Avery in early 1881 (Randall 1979, 2:513-533; possibly the one now at the Wadsworth Athenaeum, Hartford), he ordered a clock mount from Barbedienne for a Charles VII in early 1882 (Randall 1979, 2: 533-543; diary entries for 27 January, 3 May, and 9 June 1882).
[2] Parke-Bernet Galleries, Inc., New York, Bronzes by Antoine-Louis Barye. The Bernard Black - Hugues Nadeau Collection, 3 December 1971. According to the unpaginated foreword, the partners of the Bernard Black Gallery retained a selection of Barye casts as a study collection after closing the gallery in 1969.
[3] In NGA curatorial files.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1889

Bibliography

1994

2000

2023

Inscriptions

incised into model on left center edge of base and probably enhanced after casting: BARYE 1860; on underside of bronze base in ink: G.A. Lucas / 21 Rue de l'arc de [Triom]phe; on underside of bronze base in white paint: LUCAS

Wikidata ID

Q63854532