Items Similar to 19th Century Silvered Bronze Athénienne Jardinière by Ferdinand Barbedienne

Ferdinand Barbedienne Bronze Boy & Goose Sculpture 19th Century

Ferdinand Barbedienne " Diana" Sculpture, 19th Century

A Champlevé Enamel Jardinière by Ferdinand Barbedienne

Imposing 19th Century Bronze Mounted Rouge Marble Jardiniere by Barbedienne

A 19th C. French Louis XVI Patinated & Doré Bronze Jardinière, F. Barbedienne

Early 20th Century Gilt Bronze "Decorative Vases" by Ferdinand Barbedienne

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

19th Century Silvered Bronze Athénienne Jardinière by Ferdinand Barbedienne

About the Item

A French silvered-bronze athénienne by Ferdinand Barbedienne, Paris, last quarter 19th century with a revolving liner, the frieze applied with bucrania suspending ribbon-tied berried laurel swags above a border of bellflowers on a stippled ground above three seated female sphinxes issuing stylised foliage and scrolls on lion monopodia cast with the mask of Hercules, scrolling foliage and anthemions joined by stretchers, raised on a concave-sided triform marble base on a further thin silvered-bronze base, inscribed to the tripod base 'F. BARBEDIENNE' Measures: 103.3cm. high, 41.5cm. diameter; 3ft. 4 3/8 in, 1ft. 4 1/4. This impressive athénienne is a key reminder of the longevity of a particular model and design’s success from Antiquity through to the 19th century and up until this day. Typically known as the ‘Trépied du Temple d’Isis’, this athénienne is designed after the Roman antique originally found at Pompeii and now at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples (fig.1). From being for example an inspiration for the baptismal font of Napoléon’s son in 1811, this model was the inspiration to many highly skilled makers throughout the 19thcentury such as the Manfredini brothers from Milan and of course the Parisian well-established bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne who executed the present example. The Temple of Isis was a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis and was among one of the first discoveries during the excavation of Pompeii in 1764. Certainly considered as one of the most elegant examples of antique tripods, the existence of this model was then popularized to the rest of Europe via prints, one of the first being by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1779. This type of tripod was also popularised by an engraving in C. Percier and P. Fontaine’s, Receuil de Décorations Intérieures of 1801. Interestingly, there is also a watercolour now in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris, showing this type of tripod displayed at the 1801 Exposition des Produits de L’Industrie in the Louvre. The passion for Greek and Roman Art in the 19th century. The discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum around the middle of the 18th century gave rise to a new passion for Antiquity and the excavated masterpieces renewed the repertoire of fine and decorative arts and served as models for Neoclassicism. Members of the aristocracy as well as connoisseurs, particularly in England, completed their education by undertaking a ‘Grand Tour’ of Italy and often fell victim to the recently unearthed Greek and Roman artefacts like the tripod from the Temple of Isis. Throughout the history of Western Art, successive styles have always alternated between periods of attraction to Antiquity (Renaissance, Classicism, Neoclassicism, Empire, Art Deco) and rejection and challenge of Antiquity (Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau). These cyclical returns of Antiquity are clear and with them came the envy of people at different times and in places so far apart to decorate their interiors with testimonies of a past so remote. Because of the lack of available Antique artifacts, amateurs appreciated reproductions of the celebrated masterpieces of Antiquity, which had become the standard for ideal and unsurpassed beauty. The 19th century from the Manfredini brothers in the early 19th century to Ferdinand Barbedienne in the late 19th century saw the success of this model endure. Related examples in comparison to the present have been recorded in public and private collections, thus testifying to the ongoing fascination of collectors to engage with this model: It is worthwhile considering a sixth athénienne in the State Bedchamber at Pavlovsk Palace, St. Petersburg, with a lapis lazuli frieze and base surmounted by a marble top (ill. Ed. A. Koutchoumov, Pavlovsk, Le Palais et le Parc, St. Petersburg, Leningrad, 1976, pp. 78-79.) Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) Having established one of France's most important foundries in 1839, Ferdinand Barbedienne excelled at the masterly art of reproducing both French and Italian Renaissance sculpture. Working for many years in collaboration with the inventor Achille Collas, Barbedienne produced bronze reductions of sculptures from the Antique using a pioneering technique that allowed him to reduce works of art to any size using a simple mathematical calculation. However, the diversity of his production was even more substantial, as his entry to the 1867 Paris Exhibition clearly testifie. Paris - Artistic bronzes; mantelpiece sets; chandeliers; statues; groups; artistic furniture; articles in sculptured wood and marble; articles in chased silver and repoussé gold; cloisonné enamels. The high regard to which Barbedienne was undeniably held was formally recognized in 1850 when he was commissioned to furnish the Paris Town Hall. He received the médaille d'honneur for his efforts, presented to him at the Paris World Exhibition in 1855. A decade after this award, he was made the President of the Reunion of Bronze Makers, a post he held until 1885 and a testament to the lifelong dedication he contributed to his craft.

Creator:
Ferdinand Barbedienne (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Diameter: 16.34 in (41.5 cm)
Style:
Grand Tour (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Marble,Silver Plate
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1860
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Oxfordshire, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU4936227272632
View Invoice

Shop All Ferdinand Barbedienne

Ferdinand Barbedienne

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 prizes. 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 antique Ferdinand Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and more.