Sketchbook, late 1850s
Antoine-Louis Baryeexpand_more
Graphite, black chalk on cream and pale green wove paper; bound volumeexpand_more
The Herschel V. Jones Fund, by exchangeexpand_more 70.27
Not on Viewexpand_more
Sketchbooks can offer an extraordinary snapshot of an artist’s mind at a given time. They preserve fleeting ideas, casual observations, private rehearsals, and lingering fixations. All can be found in a sketchbook in the museum’s collection by the French artist Antoine-Louis Barye, famous for his animal sculptures. Mixed in among the drawings in this pocket-sized compendium, which accompanied Barye on his daily activities in the 1850s, are the names of friends and hotels, lists of expenses, copies of works in the Louvre, the address of a lawyer, even a lengthy brasserie tab from 1854.
As expected, most of the sketches document Barye’s fascination with animals, especially tigers and elephants. Most were drawn from life during visits to the menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes, where Barye reportedly spent hours studying animals, alongside Eugène Delacroix. These artists drew the animals not only in their cages but also during dissection after their demise.
Details
- Title
- Sketchbook
- Artist Life
- 1796–1875
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 70.27
- Provenance
- [Gropper Art Gallery, Cambridge, Mass, until 1970; sold, April 18 for $450 to MIA]
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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