The Arabian Horse –

By Antoine-Louis Barye (French, 1796–1875)

Graham Shay 1857 is pleased to present The Arabian Horse – By Antoine-Louis Barye, a curated exhibition celebrating the grandeur and legacy of the Arabian horse as exquisitely modeled by the French sculptor, Antoine-Louis Barye (1796-1875).

Through November 11th, 2022

Accompanied by other fine Barye bronzes from private collections

Arab Horseman Killing a Lion (Cavalier arabe tuant un lion), c. 1860

Bronze, dark green and brown patina

15 H. x 15 1/4 W. x 6 3/4 inches (38 H. x 39 W. x 17 D. centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

For thousands of years, the Arabian horse has been a prized breed, originally reared by Bedouin nomads in the Arabian Peninsula. In contrast to the stocky horses needed to carry heavily armored knights bred in Europe through the Medieval period, the Arabian was light, fast, and agile, moving unlike any other equine the continent had seen. As international trade and correspondence grew into the 1600s, leaders of the Ottoman Empire made it a practice to gift Arabian horses to European heads of state as a gesture of diplomacy. Three of these horses became the basis for the English Thoroughbred, and the majority of Thoroughbreds can be traced back to one of these sires today. The first Arabian stallion in America was imported into Virginia in 1725.

Arab Horseman - The Boar Hunt (Cavalier arabe tuant un sanglier), c. 1862

Bronze, dark brown patina

11 1/4 H. x 13 1/4 W. x 9 1/2 inches (28.5 H. x 33.5 W. x 24 D. centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

This virile breed has appeared in some of the most notable moments of history and culture, serving King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Egyptian pharaohs, sheikhs and sultans of the Near East, Indian Maharajas, Napoleon Bonaparte, and U.S. Presidents, establishing themselves as a symbol of nobility, beauty, and prestige. It is no surprise that these horses became a popular subject for artists - the famous painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801) by Jacques-Louis David features Napoleon atop his mighty Arabian stallion Marengo. 

In The Arabian Horse – By Antoine-Louis Barye, we bring together a distinguished selection of bronze sculpture illuminating the Arabian horse’s beauty, grace, nobility, and strength.

Turkish Horse, No. 2, Left Leg Raised, 1857

Bronze, dark green and ruddy brown patina on oval base

12 H. x 12 1/2 W. x 4 5/8 D. inches (30.5 x 31.75 x 11.75 centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

Horse Surprised by a Lion (Cheval Surpris par un Lion), 1833

Bronze, dark brown patina

15 3/4 H. x 15 W. x 5 D. inches (40 H. x 38.1 W. x 12.7 D. centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

General Bonaparte (Le Général Bonaparte), 1845

Bronze, brown patina

13 3/4 H. x 23 W. x 4 3/4 D. inches (34.9 H. x 58.42 W. x 12.1 D. centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

Charles VII, The Victorious (Charles VII le victorieux), 1857 

Bronze, brown and green patina

11 3/8 H. x 10 1/8 W. x 4 1/2 D. inches (28.89 H. x 25.71 W. x 10.79 D. centimeters)

Signed on base: BARYE

EXHIBITING AT:

The Boston International Fine Art Show

The Cyclorama, the Boston Center for the Arts

October 20th through October 23rd

Featured artists:

Antoine-Louis Barye • George Bellows • Harry Bertoia • Fritz Bultman • Allan Clark • Charles Demuth • Henry Hering • Malvina Hoffman • Laura Knight • Leon Kroll • Seymour Lipton • Paul Manship • Edward McCartan • Willard Metcalf • Guy Pène du Bois • Alexander Phimister Proctor • Frederic Remington • Augustus Saint Gaudens • Everett Shinn • Joseph Stella • Bessie Potter Vonnoh

GRAHAM SHAY 1857

17 E. 67^th Street, No. 1A

New York, NY 10065

212.535.5767

Gallery Hours

Monday through Friday, 12pm to 6pm

All other times by appointment