Antoine Louis Barye (1796-1875) - Lot 8

Antoine Louis Barye (1796-1875) Theseus fighting the Minotaur (second version) Bronze with brown patina Published by Barbedienne from 1877 Signed "BARYE" on the terrace Bears the founder's mark "F. BARBEDIENNE Fondeur" on the back of the terrace. Engraved inside with a number "42". H. 46 cm and terrace: 29.5 x 16 cm Related literature: - Michel Poletti, Alain Richarme, Barye, le catalog raisonné des sculptures, Paris, Gallimard, 2000, model listed under no. F32, p. 108 - Florence Rionnet, Les bronzes Barbedienne. L'oeuvre d'une dynastie de fondeurs (1834-1954), Paris, Arthena, 2016, model listed under Cat. 427, p. 272. Produced for the Salon of 1843, the group of Theseus fighting the Minotaur was finally presented at the Exposition Universelle of 1855 (and acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London). Well received by critics, who admired its modernity, this subject became one of Barye's masterpieces, better known today for his animal sculpture. Here, the hero Theseus, in a powerful, haughty pose, gains the upper hand over the bowed, muscular monster.