A Doe, after Barye
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 13/16 × 8 1/16 in. (14.8 × 20.5 cm) Plate: 4 3/4 × 5 11/16 in. (12 × 14.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection. The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1963
Accession Number
63.625.437a
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Metropolitan of Art, *A Doe, after Barye* (1846) showcases the delicate artistry of French etcher Charles Jacque, who faithfully reproduced a design by renowned sculptor Antoine-Louis Bary. This intimate etching, measuring just 4¾ × 5⅝ inches on the plate, captures the graceful form of a doe with remarkable precision, highlighting Jacque's skill in translating Barye's sculptural vision into two dimensions. Barye, a pioneer of the animalier style—realistic depictions of wildlife inspired by Romantic naturalism—elevated animals from mere motifs to nob...
About the Artist
Charles Jacque|Antoine-Louis Barye
Charles-Émile Jacque (1813–1894) was a pioneering French painter, engraver, and illustrator whose career bridged the worlds of printmaking and pastoral painting. Born in Paris amid a difficult childhood, he apprenticed at age seventeen to a map engraver, mastering drypoint technique and producing his first etching in 1830—a copy of a head after Rembrandt. After serving seven years in the French Ar...