Barye was the most famous artist of the group of sculptors we know as Les Animaliers. His art went beyond the mere representation of animals, however, and he became a key figure of the Romantic Movement. His achievements can be understood from the comments of the contemporary critics the Goncourt brothers, who proclaimed his 1850 composition, "Jaguar Devouring a Hare," as "the beginning of Modern Art." Rodin later argued that Barye "had discovered the great mystery of rendering movement." In the models shown here, we can follow Barye's artistic development and the transition from fine detail to a simplified modeling within his oeuvre.
