Elephant of Senegal c. 1865

Editor: Here we have Antoine Louis Barye's bronze sculpture, "Elephant of Senegal," housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s so dynamic! What do you see in this piece? Curator: The elephant, across cultures, carries immense weight, doesn’t it? In some, it symbolizes wisdom, strength, and memory; in others, royalty or even destructive power. Given Barye's time, what symbolic associations might he be exploring? Editor: Perhaps he's using it as a symbol of exoticism, or the power of nature, given its movement. Curator: Exactly! The romantic era, certainly. He’s drawing upon a pre-existing visual language, imbuing the animal with multiple layers of meaning, influenced by colonial narratives and scientific fascination. Editor: It's amazing how a single image can hold so much cultural information. Curator: Indeed, seeing is never neutral; it’s always shaped by what we collectively know and believe.