Antoine-Louis Barye - Python in a Tree - Walters 37817

"Python in a Tree" represents a snake coiled around branches in a lush, verdant tropical forest setting. This work dates from Barye's maturity in the 1850s to 1860s and is among his most colorful watercolors. This is especially evident in the flecks of blue, red, pink, and orange that animate the snake's skin. Barye defines the animal's shape in pen and India ink, making it stand out in relief and giving it a three-dimensional quality. He also demonstrates his penchant for scraping away paint, particularly in the two lowest loops of the snake's tail, where his vigorous scraping, to a degree rarely seen in the output of any 19th-century draftsman, reveals clearly the fibrous nature of the paper below.