Panther Devouring a Rabbit

Like Theseus in this gallery, this sculpture was also in the collection of James J. Hill. But the present bronze group depicts actual animals rather than mythological creatures. Antoine-Louis Barye is noted for his vivid depictions of animals in action. In his compositions, wild animals attack their prey, combining naturalistic rendering of their anatomy with movement. These scenes were extremely popular in France and America. Hill was one of Barye's most ardent American supporters, as he purchased eleven of his works from the Barbedienne foundry in 1891. Hill placed Theseus slaying the centaur Bianor in front of the organ in his picture gallery so that it held a prominent position for visitors entering from the entrance hall.