Antoine Barye, Bronze bust of a sculptor in the 6th arrondissement, Paris, France

The Antoine Barye is a bronze bust by François-Raoul Larche, set on the facade of the Orangerie of the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th arrondissement. It portrays the sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, known for his animal bronzes, and faces the garden's central axis near the Luxembourg Museum.

The state commissioned this work in 1886 to honor a sculptor who began as a goldsmith before becoming known for animal sculptures. This piece marks the official recognition of his shift from metalcraft to larger artistic works.

The bust is one of a series of sculptor portraits on the Orangerie facade of the Luxembourg, part of a 19th-century programme of state commissions. Barye's name is also carried by a Paris street, and the animal bronzes he modelled are still cast and sold today.

The bust sits on the Orangerie facade facing the Luxembourg garden, a short walk from the Luxembourg Museum and the Sénat. Entrances on rue de Médicis and rue de Vaugirard put you closest; the RER B station Luxembourg is steps away. The garden is open daily, and the facade can be viewed from the gravel terrace without entering any building.

The sculptor honored here studied animal movements at a nearby zoo to improve his artistic work. This practice of observing nature directly shaped the way he created his most celebrated works.