Background
He was born in Paris into a family of artists. His father was a porcelain-painter, and his older brother Félix-Joseph Barrias a well-known painter.
He was born in Paris into a family of artists. His father was a porcelain-painter, and his older brother Félix-Joseph Barrias a well-known painter.
In 1858 he was admitted to the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where his teacher was François Jouffroy.
Barrias was involved in the decoration of the Paris Opéra and the Hôtel de la Païva in the Champs-Élysées. His work was mostly in marble, in a Romantic realist style indebted to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. Barrias was involved in the decoration of the Paris Opéra and the Hôtel de la Païva in the Champs-Élysées.
His work was mostly in marble, in a Romantic realist style indebted to Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux.
Barrias replaced Dumont at the Institut de France in 1884 then succeeded Cavelier as professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. In 1900-1903 he served on the Council for the National Museums.
Among his students were Josep Clarà, Charles Despiau, Henri Bouchard, and Victor Ségoffin. Barrias was very influenced by the Art Nouveau style, which was prominent in art during the finance-de-siècle in France.
The voluptuous women figures used in many of his sculptures are a product of this time and style.
Nature and the erotic was, also, used often in this type style of art, which is seen in many of Barrias"s works including, "Nature Unveiling Herself Before Science." This piece was made in 1899, when this style was popular. His most known piece is "Portrait of the Young Mozart." He often used literary references in his sculptures (Fusco, Peter, and H West, Janson, eds The Romantics to Rodin New York: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1980 Print). Barrias died in Paris on 4 February 1905.