Barthelemy Prieur x Charles Ray
Barthelemy Prieur
Lion devouring a doe, cast probably before 1583
Bronze
© Hill Art Foundation; Photo by Matthew Herrmann
Charles Ray
Golden jewelry
Gift to the artist’s wife
© Charles Ray; Courtesy of the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery
“I think Lion devouring a doe and Golden Jewelry both communicate similar themes about death. Both the doe and the apple have been preserved in their moments of decay. The hide of the doe has been marred by the lions claws, and the apple has been altered by human consumption and time. The lion’s gaze and possessive grasp on the doe feels far more violent than the gilded rot that embodies the apple. Both subjects (the doe and the apple) are passive, but one form of death invites feelings of pity, while the other invites feelings of disdain and fascination.”
– Samantha Alexander, Teen Curator 2019-2020