Antoine-Louis Barye

ANTOINE-LOUIS BARYE (1795 -1875).
"Theseus fighting the centaur Bienor", third third of the 19th century.
Sculpture in patinated bronze.
Signed.
With foundry stamp: F. BARBEDIENNE.
Measurements: 75 x 74 x 29 cm.

The work being auctioned is a second version of Theseus' fight, this time with the centaur Bienor, produced by Barbedienne. The scene portrays a violent incident that occurred during the wedding of Piritoo with Hippodamia. The centaurs, invited to the celebration, got drunk and tried to sexually assault the bride and her companions, unleashing a brutal confrontation; the passage was narrated by Ovid in Book XII of the Metamorphoses.
The creation of the piece was developed in two important stages: the first version dates from 1840; nine years later, in 1849, the artist produced the definitive one, responding to a government commission. It was later exhibited to the public at the 1850 Salon. The group, which recalls the one previously made by Antonio Canova, now exhibited in Vienna, was published posthumously by Barbedienne in four reductions.
It stands out for the violent foreshortening that dominates the scene, where the calm of the Athenian hero contrasts with the terror embodied in the face of the centaur. Theseus grabs Bienor by the neck, intoxicated by the wine, who seems unable to stand and succumbs to the attacks of his enemy, who raises his arm to deliver the final blow.

In the artistic panorama of the 19th century, Antoine-Louis Barye emerged as a prominent figure, standing out for his exceptional talent in animalistic sculpture. His mastery in the representation of animals made him one of the most sought-after sculptors of his time. Although he is recognized for his depictions of animals, his work encompassed a wider range of subjects, such as mythology.
He began his training with his father, a goldsmith, and later expanded it with the masters François Joseph Bosio and Antoine-Jean Gros, at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he entered in 1818. He had his own foundry, collaborated with Viollet-le-Duc on a project commissioned by Napoleon III and was Auguste Rodin's teacher.
A notable example of his foray into mythological themes is his interpretation of the myth of Theseus, to which he resorted on two separate occasions. One of these works depicts the famous confrontation between Theseus, son of Aegeus, and the Minotaur in the labyrinth of Crete. In 1843, he presented this work at the Salon du Louvre; however, the work was rejected by the jury.