Sculptor - Antoine Louis Barye
Title - Thesee Combattant Le Minotaure
(2nd version)
Sand Cast Bronze
Atelier Antoine Louis Barye
Circa 1857
18" height by 11 5/8" length
(45.7 cm by 29.5 cm)
This is one of Barye's most famous mythological sculptures. It is based on the ancient story of the Greek hero Theseus who journeyed to Crete and slew the Minotaur in the labyrinth, saving the seven youths and seven maidens of Athens who were intended to be a sacrifice.
You can feel the power and presence of this work of art as the Combat of these two Immortals draws to its climax. The accuracy which Barye used in the muscle structure of the Greek Hero is testimony to the full knowledge of his subjects. The challenge of creating a half man half beast with the exaggerated muscles of the Minotaur is accomplished very realistically. The claws of the powerful beast rip into the shoulder of Theseus but there is no expression of pain in the face of the Hero, only the determination of what is at hand and needs to be finished. Much has been written about the form and flow of this model over the past century but one has to actually see it to feel the true power of this sculpture. The sculpture of Theseus and the Minotaur was first submitted to the Salon of 1843 along with two Bulls. All three were rejected for entry by the judges. Barye first cast Theseus and the Minotaur in bronze in 1843 and it was later accepted to the Salon of 1851. It was exhibited at the Paris Universal Exposition of 1855 where it was hailed as a masterpiece. Ferdinand Barbedienne cast this model in his famous Paris foundry and those Barbedienne casts are not as rare as the few Theseus and Minotaur bronzes that were cast by Barye in the 1850s. This sculpture shows wonderful power and detail, it is cast in Barye's own foundry and finished in a deep rich black brown patina.
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