Alfred Barye

(French, 1839–1882)

Alfred Barye was a French artist known for his meticulously detailed bronze sculptures of the Belle Époque. Born on January 21, 1839 in Paris, France, Bayre was an apprentice of his father, Antoine-Louis Barye, a premier animalier sculptor. The younger Bayre followed the example set by his father, working alongside him in the atelier to craft exquisite equestrian models and other fauna through the method of sand casting. He was perennially concerned with achieving the correct patina for each and every piece, achieving lifelike surfaces and capturing a sense of movement in the animals he depicted. Bayre died in 1882 in Paris, France, after exhibiting in the city’s salon throughout the 1860s.