19th Century Bronze Statue of David by J.A. Mercié & Barbedienne
View Similar Items
19th Century Bronze Statue of David by J.A. Mercié & Barbedienne
About the Item
- Creator:F. Barbedienne Foundry (Maker),Antonin Mercie (Sculptor)
- Dimensions:Height: 43 in (109.22 cm)Diameter: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:Bronze,Cast
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1880
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: 91421stDibs: LU954713291022
F. Barbedienne Foundry
Founded by one-time Parisian wallpaper dealer Ferdinand Barbedienne and engineer Achille Collas, one of the most revered foundries in 19th-century France began with the invention of a revolutionary 1830s-era device that could produce proportional reproductions — large or small — of sculptures. Collas’s machine, which yielded miniature likenesses of antiquities for the interiors of homes the world over, was pivotal to the success of the F. Barbedienne Foundry. The successful firm earned prestigious awards and critical acclaim and created exquisite bronze candleholders, clocks and lamps for a range of wealthy and prominent clients.
The duo first launched their company under the name Société Collas et Barbedienne, and early on, they optimized chemical processes for pigmenting and patinating their bronze statuettes. After Collas died in 1859, Barbedienne forged on alone, and the company’s name changed to simply F. Barbedienne.
Barbedienne employed more than 300 workers at that point, and the Maison created a range of furnishings and decorative objects that featured the integration of marble and ormolu accents. However, with the onset of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the foundry was forced to retrofit its molds, and the production of cannons replaced sculptures, furniture and vases.
When Ferdinand Barbedienne passed away in 1891, his nephew and heir, Gustave Leblanc, took over as president, changing the name to Leblanc-Barbedienne. Leblanc expanded production into Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, carrying on the company's legacy with monumental sculptures, and models and securing production rights for famous statues. Paul-Alexandre Dumas, an Art Nouveau maker and student of Louis Majorelle, succeeded Leblanc until the company's closing in 1952.
Barbedienne pieces had been exhibited regularly in the 19th century and were especially prevalent at Europe’s international expositions and world’s fairs, where they received numerous awards. Today, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris holds dozens of Barbedienne works in its collection, including intricate mirrors, vases and cups created by Louis-Constant Sévin at the foundry. For more than two decades, Sévin created lamps, boxes and more at Maison Barbedienne. Working alongside award-winning chaser Désiré Attarge, Sévin designed Napoleon III-era works that greatly appealed to European nobility.
Other notable artists who collaborated with Barbedienne included Eugene Aizelin, Emmanuel Fremiet, Antonin Mercié, Emile Guillemin, Edouard Lievre, Ferdinand Levillain and Auguste Rodin.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and collectibles.
- 19th Century Pair of Bronze Statues after Models by ClodionLocated in London, GBA pair of statues after models by Clodion Constructed in white Carrara marble, and well patinated finely cast bronze; square marble bases support columnar pedestals, separated by ann...Category
Antique 19th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsMarble, Bronze, Ormolu
- Pair of 19th Century French Figurative Bronzes by Eugène PiatBy Frédéric - Eugène Piat 1Located in London, GBAn African couple by Frédérick Eugène Piat (1827-1903) Modelled in a now well patinated bronze, the circular bases, inscribed with the artist's name, support tree trunks, against which rest the young warrior holding his spear, and his partner, a draped young woman with a necklace of animal teeth...Category
Antique 19th Century French Romantic Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- 19th Century Bronze Figure of L'Improvisateur by Felix CharpentierBy Félix CharpentierLocated in London, GBL'Improvisateur By Félix-Maurice Charpentier (1858-1924) Cast from bronze and with a warm patina, portraying a youth playing the flute fashioned from a branch. Titled on the base, b...Category
Early 20th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Magnificent Pair of 19th Century Bronze Figural Torchères by Henry DassonBy Henry DassonLocated in London, GBConstructed from patinated and gilded bronze, the large figures clothed in the Antique style, after the original design by Jean-Joseph Foucou, today residing at the Louvre, posed in ...Category
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Revival Floor Lamps
MaterialsBronze
- 19th Century French Bronze Lamp of Male Indian FigureBy A. Toussaint - G. ChaudoirLocated in London, GBA well patinated bronze figure, representing an American Indian, wearing a draped headdress, robe and a pendant hooped earring. Signed to the plinth 'A.Tossaint 1850', and the foundr...Category
Antique 19th Century French Anglo-Indian Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- 'Odalisque' by Baron Charles Arthur Bourgeois, a 19th Century Bronze SculptureLocated in London, GB'Odalisque' By Baron Charles Arthur Bourgeois (1838-1886) Cast bronze, now well patinated, rising from a circular base, cast with drapery,...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Exceptional 19th Century Bronze Entitled ““Quand Meme” by Mercié and BarbedienneBy Antonin Mercie, Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in New York, NYA Large and Exceptional Late 19th Century Patinated Bronze Figural Group Entitled “Quand Meme” by Mercié and Barbedienne on Pedestal Marius-Jean-Antonin Me...Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- 19th Century, Barbedienne, Bronze Statue of a MinstrelBy F. Barbedienne FoundryLocated in Brighton, SussexA very good quality 19th Century Bronze statue of a minstrel player, signed Barbedienne.Category
Antique 19th Century Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- French 19th C Gilt and Patinated Bronze Group of Gloria Victis, by A. MercieBy F. Barbedienne Foundry, Antonin MercieLocated in New York, NYAn Incredible and Large Gilt and Patinated Bronze Group of Gloria Victis, a Winged Figure of Victory with a Fallen Warrior. This incredible bronze piece was cast after a model by Maarius-Jean-Antonin Mercié, This model is signed 'F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR PARIS' demonstrating that it was cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne's foundry, the best bronzier of the 19th century. The base is further signed 'A. Mercie' and stamped 'Réduction Mécanique' with an inscription of '659'. The figure is mounted on a Belgian noir marble base with various stepped edges. Gloria Victis is one the most well-known and important bronze casts of the 19th Century. The quality of this particular model is absolutely incredible and all the marking indicate that this particular piece is one of the finest produced by the Foundry. A student of Jouffroy and de Falguière at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié (1845-1916) won the Grand Prix de Rome at 23 years old with his work Thésée vainqueur du Minotaure. In 1872, he sent the plaster model of his work David vainqueur to the Salon, for which he won the first class medal. At the same time, he received La croix de la Légion d'honneur at the Villa Medici. His return to Paris, in 1874, issued in a long and brilliant career with numerous commissions, notably the monuments for Louis-Philippe and Queen Marie-Amélie for the Royal Chapel at Dreux (1886). By the age of 30 Mercié was already very well-known and his Gloria Victis received resounding success when it was exhibited at the Salon, in 1874 (in plaster) and in 1875 (in bronze). This work exalted the heroism and the patriotic sentiments aroused by the disasters of 1870. His predilection for patriotic subjects is shown in many of his works such as Quand même...Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Busts
MaterialsBelgian Black Marble, Bronze
$23,780 Sale Price20% Off - 19th Century French Bronze Statue of the Goddess Diana by BarbedienneBy F. Barbedienne FoundryLocated in London, by appointment onlyA Napoleon III bronze figure of Diana after the antique, showing the goddess of hunting bearing the fragment of a bow with a quiver at her waist. The base bearing the stamp for the B...Category
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Shepherds of Arcadia, Barbedienne Bronze, 19th CenturyBy Eugene-Antoine Aizelin, F. Barbedienne FoundryLocated in Brighton, SussexBarbedienne bronze of the Shepherds of Arcadia by Eugene Antoine Aizelin (French 1821-1902) Bergers d'Arcadie. Patinated bronze mounted on a rouge m...Category
Antique 19th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze
- Bronze Figural Sculpture of Gloria Victis by Antonin MerciéBy Antonin Mercie, F. Barbedienne FoundryLocated in New York, NYGloria Victis, a winged figure of victory carrying a fallen warrior casted in bronze with brown patina. Inscribed with 'F. Barbedienne. Fonduer' mark and...Category
Antique 19th Century French Figurative Sculptures
MaterialsBronze