Walking Wolf c. 1865

Editor: This bronze sculpture, "Walking Wolf," is by Antoine Louis Barye. I’m struck by the tension in the wolf’s posture, a mix of power and vulnerability. How do you interpret that? Curator: Barye was working in a time of immense social upheaval. Consider how the wolf, often a symbol of wildness and the untamed, might reflect anxieties about social order, particularly the rising bourgeoisie challenging the old aristocracy. Editor: So, the wolf represents more than just a wild animal? Curator: Precisely. It's a figure through which anxieties about the changing social and political landscapes are expressed. The snarling mouth – is it a threat, or a desperate cry? And who is the wolf threatening, or crying out to? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. It's not just about the wolf, but about the anxieties of the time, captured in bronze. Curator: Exactly. Art becomes a mirror reflecting our fears, hopes, and the power dynamics at play.