Bronze Sculpture—stork And Turtle—barye / Barbedienne—france—19th Century

Antoine-Louis Barye – Stork Perched on a Turtle – Bronze – F. Barbedienne

Antoine-Louis BARYE (1796–1875)
Stork Perched on a Turtle

An elegant bronze animal group with a brown and green patina depicting a stork—a large wading bird—standing on a turtle.

This original composition perfectly illustrates the talent of Antoine-Louis Barye, considered one of the greatest French animal sculptors of the 19th century. Here, Barye pays particular attention to the movement, anatomy, and naturalistic rendering of the two animals. The contrast between the bird’s slender silhouette and the turtle’s powerful shell gives the piece a particularly decorative presence.

The bronze features a beautiful antique patina, with shades of brown, green, and gold, elegantly highlighting the modeling and details of the cast.

The base is signed “BARYE” and bears the foundry mark “F. BARBEDIENNE,” a prestigious Parisian firm specializing in the production of art bronzes.

This work is part of the series of Barye’s models produced by the Ferdinand Barbedienne foundry. The model is listed in the catalogue raisonné by Michel Poletti and Alain Richarme.

France, 19th century.

Details

• Artist: Antoine-Louis Barye
• Foundry: F. Barbedienne
• Material: Bronze
• Patina: Brown, green, and gold
• Period: 19th century
• Signature: BARYE
• Mark: F. BARBEDIENNE
• Reference: Poletti & Richarme, model A198/A199
• Condition: Good condition, beautiful antique patina
• Dimensions: Approximately 7.5 cm

A rare and charming animal composition by Barye, bringing together two iconic figures from his body of work with great originality, and part of the prestigious Barbedienne edition.