Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
If you attended the Great Exhibition of 1862 you would have witnessed the unveiling of the magnificent Ross Fountain — a cast iron sculpture created by Jean-Baptiste Jules Klagmann and produced by the Antoine Durenne Foundry. This work can still be seen in West Princes Street Gardens, near Edinburgh Castle, and a number of additional significant pieces that the foundry made during the course of its long history dot a range of historic parks and gardens all over the United Kingdom.
Antoine Durenne bought the small foundry near Sommevoire in Haute-Marne, France. The foundry was located near another prestigious art foundry called the Val d’Osne. Artist Jean Pierre Andre Victor, who established the Val d’Osne, pioneered the cast iron ornamental technique, which was used in creating works of decorative cast iron (Durenne also practiced this at his foundry). The Durenne foundry began to manufacture balconies, balustrades, fireplaces and lamp posts starting in the 1870s as well as WWI memorials and large figurative sculptures, usually animals, in the 1900s.
Durenne merged with Val d’Osne and other foundries to create a co-op called the Société Anonyme des Haute-Fourneaux et Fonderies du Val d'Osne, also known as the Société Anonyme des Etablissements Metallurgiques. The Durenne foundry and the co-op was purchased in the mid-20th century by the Société Generale de Fonderie d'Hydraulique et de Mecanique, better known as GHM, which still produces work from Durenne’s original foundry in Sommevoire.
Durenne died in 1895 though his contributions to the history of cast iron sculpture and the arts have endured. He was a founding member of École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs. The legendary art and design school played a pivotal role in the iconic movement called Art Deco, and its alumni includes the likes of jewelry designer Charles Garnier, architect Hector Guimard and artist Henri Matisse. Some of the statues produced by the Antoine Durenne Foundry are protected today by various world heritage organizations.
On 1stDibs, find antique Antoine Durenne Foundry building and garden elements, decorative objects and seating.
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Wrought Iron
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Wrought Iron
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Cotton, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Mid-Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Metal
2010s Mid-Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Wood
2010s European Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Mohair, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Steel
20th Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Goatskin, Wood
1970s North American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Bamboo, Rattan
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Wrought Iron
1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Rattan, Beech
1940s French Scandinavian Modern Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
Wool, Oak
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Antoine Durenne Foundry Chairs
PVC, Oak
