Tiger Devouring a Gavial (First Reduction)

When a plaster model for this sculpture appeared in the Paris Salon of 1831, critics were astonished by the choice of an animal theme over a more conventional human subject. One critic praised the manner in which Barye expressed both the suffering of the gavial (an Indian crocodile with a narrow snout) and the grim determination of the tiger. He also admired the sculptor's ability to portray a subject that he could never actually have witnessed.

This particular piece bears the stamp, of A Victor Paillard (1805-1886) a Bourbon crown over the letters VP. His foundry was noted for the quality of the casting. There is a certain lack of clarity to the impression of the stamp, which led experts to consider the possibility that the bronze was a surmoulage (a cast after another cast), but this opinion has now been rejected.

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Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

William T. Walters, Baltimore, prior to 1889 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1894, by inheritance; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.