Tiger Attacking a Peacock

Known for his romantic and humanized portrayals of wildlife, Barye sculpted many small-scale artworks, which he later reproduced in bronze to sell to the growing middle class. After molding the original work in clay, Barye cast this plaster model, which he then reworked with more plaster and with wax. Smoother and less porous than plaster, wax allowed for a finer degree of texture and detail across the sculpture’s surface. The incisions suggesting the tiger’s fur and stripes, for example, heighten its realism and emotional force. After incorporating such features, Barye then cast an exact replica from this object in bronze, which was used as the prototype for editions and was known as the chef-modèle. The technical procedure of combining materials in the production process was unique in its time.