The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man

George Grey Barnard American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 700

While living in Paris, Barnard labored on this work— his most famous—for over six years. After the single block of marble was roughed out in Italy, Barnard finished carving the sculpture himself. In 1894, he exhibited it in Paris under the title Je sens deux hommes en moi [I sense two men in myself ]. While the symbolism of the group eludes definitive interpretation, Barnard used sculpture to explore all aspects of the human condition; here, the figures are treated dramatically in order to evoke the inner life of man. The batlike creature on the left arm of the lower figure may refer to the darkness in which man’s baser nature is mired.

The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man, George Grey Barnard (American, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 1863–1938 New York), Marble, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man, George Grey Barnard (American, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 1863–1938 New York), Marble, American
The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man, George Grey Barnard (American, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 1863–1938 New York), Marble, American
The Struggle of the Two Natures in Man, George Grey Barnard (American, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 1863–1938 New York), Marble, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.