Jaguar Devouring a Hare
model 1850, cast by 1874
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall: 40.64 × 101.6 × 35.56 cm (16 × 40 × 14 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase)
Accession Number
2015.19.3888
Art Historical Context
Antoine-Louis Barye’s *Jaguar Devouring a Hare*, modeled in 1850 and cast in bronze by 1874, captures a raw moment of nature’s ferocity. This dynamic sculpture depicts a powerful jaguar mid-feast on its prey, with the predator’s muscles tensed and claws gripping the hare in a visceral display of survival. Measuring 16 × 40 × 14 inches, its elongated form draws the viewer into the intensity of the hunt, showcasing Barye’s mastery of animal anatomy. A pioneer of the animalier style in 19th-century France, Barye elevated bronze sculpture by blending Romanticism’s dramatic energy with scientific ...
About the Artist
Antoine-Louis Barye · 1795–1875
Antoine-Louis Barye (1795–1875) was born in Paris on September 24, the son of goldsmith Pierre Barye and Marguerite Barye. Following family tradition, he apprenticed as a goldsmith under his father and, around 1810, with Martin-Guillaume Biennais, goldsmith to Napoleon. After brief military service, Barye pursued sculpture, studying under François-Joseph Bosio in 1816 and painter Baron Antoine-Jea...