Turtle c. 1820

Antoine-Louis Barye was a prominent French sculptor known for his animalistic sculptures. "Turtle" is a small bronze sculpture created in the early 19th century. The detailed rendering of the turtle's shell and the naturalistic pose of the animal on a base of foliage exemplify Barye's fascination with naturalism, which he used to depict animals in their natural habitats. This sculpture, now in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago, reflects Barye's artistic style that marked the transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism in 19th-century art.