Animals in Bronze

September 21, 2007 - February 03, 2008

United-LeGard Galleries

Exhibit Details

Animals in Bronze: The Michael and Mary Erlanger Collection of Animalier Bronzes

 

From prehistoric Near Eastern art, to Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, and the undercurrents of the Renaissance, there has been fluctuating interest in animals as artistic subjects. The prominence of art depicting domestic and wild beasts re-emerged in the 19th century with the birth of the animalier genre. Animalier was the first “school” devoted exclusively to animals as independent subject matter, and its rise paralleled the burgeoning sporting picture genre. Theses sporting works reflected the English aristocracy’s interest in art picturing sporting animals and pets, rather than an artistic movement, unlike the inspirations of the animalier artists.

 

The 46 bronzes featured in this exhibition embody the illustrious craft that gave animalier bronzes their notoriety during the 19th century. This exhibit is part of the traveling exhibition program at the Georgia Museum of Art, lending works of art to art centers and museums across Georgia and the Southeast. This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Individuals, foundations, and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation.