Frightened Hare c. 1865

Editor: This is Antoine Louis Barye's "Frightened Hare," a small bronze sculpture. It really captures the animal's vulnerability. What can you tell us about its historical context? Curator: Barye's animal sculptures were popular during a period of increasing urbanization. As people became more removed from nature, art like this offered a vicarious connection. Does it perhaps reflect a romanticized view of the natural world? Editor: That’s interesting! So it’s less about the hare itself, and more about what it represented to the viewers? Curator: Precisely. The sculpture becomes a symbol, charged with ideas about nature and our place within it. The “frightened” aspect speaks volumes about the anxieties of the time. Editor: I see! It makes me think about how we project our own feelings onto animals, even today. Curator: Indeed. And how art institutions continue to shape and frame those perceptions.