Antoine-Louis Barye was born in Paris in 1795. He became well known for his sculptures of animal subjects and is considered the founder of what became known as the French Anamaliers School. Early on, he studied under a metal engraver but was drafted into the army in 1812. In the Paris Salon of 1819, his sculpture, The Milo of Croton, won second prize. His masterpiece work, Tiger Devouring a Gavial, was in the Salon of 1831 and was subsequently purchased for the Luxembourg Gardens. It now resides in the Louvre. Though Barye had initial success, many of his submissions to the Paris Salon were refused, and he eventually declared bankruptcy. In 1848, Barye became Director of Casts and Models in the Louvre until 1850. In 1854, he became the Master of Zoological Drawing in the Musee d'Histore Naturelle and held this position until his death in 1875. One of his most prominent pupils was Auguste Rodin. Towards the end of his life, he received many accolades and honors such as Officer in the Legion d'Honneur, first presidency of the Central Union of Beaux Arts, Grand Medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, and membership in the Institute of France.