Antique French Bronze Sculpture Plaque of Leopard by Antoine-Louis Barye

A beautifully textured and well-preserved bas-relief plaque of Walking Leopard mounted on a cross-banded walnut backing, the sand-cast patinated bronze is finished in a chaotic patina that is overall dark-brown with autumnal hints of orange, rubbed golden-bronze relief and hints of verdigris preserved under a wax layer. A version of this plaque is held in the permanent collection of the Walters Art Gallery (acc. no. 27.495) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the earlier variation of this model with the cold-stamped signature along the lower edge (acc. no. 12.149.8) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art also holds the model (acc. no. W1893-1-159) as well. Another model is held in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum of Art (acc. no. 10.193) titled Puma.

One image shows the reverse of the plaque before being firmly remounted into the backing.

Artist Listings & Bibliography:

Barye: Catalogue raisonné des sculptures, Poletti & Richarme, p. 360, fig. A220
The Barye Bronzes: A catalogue raisonne, Pivar, p. 61, p. 261, f. R10
Antoine-Louis Barye: Sculptor of Romantic Realism, Benge, p. 82-3 [discussion of present model], fig. 62
The Founders and Editors of the Barye Bronzes, Reinis, see p. 5 of the 1865 Barye catalogue

Measurements: 3″ H x 5 1/2″ W [bronze only]; 6 1/8″ H x 8 3/4″ W x 3/4″ D [total]