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Émile Guillemin Busts

French, 1841-1907

Émile Guillemin was a celebrated 19th-century French sculptor whose Victorian-era masterpieces showed a deep love and appreciation for Asian and Middle Eastern cultures. He worked with the esteemed Barbedienne Foundry to create bronze figurative sculptures of exquisite detail. He also made statuesque bronze floor lamps and glinting silver centerpieces that retain their luster and charm to this day.

Guillemin was born in Paris in 1841. His father was sculptor Auguste Guillemin, who worked for aristocrats producing copies of ancient busts. Guillemin studied under his father and under sculptor Jean-Jules Salmson. He first exhibited his work at the Paris Salon of 1870 with two statues of Roman gladiators and continued showing his work at Paris Salons over the next three decades.

Although Guillemin was a prolific sculptor with a wide-ranging repertoire, he is most known for his Orientalist-style pieces, a term denoting the exoticization of Asian and Middle Eastern art in the West. What made Guillemin's work stand out was the great sensitivity and care he put into depicting his subjects in an accurate manner. From Japanese courtesans to Indian falconers, his subjects don accurate re-creations of the clothing, hairstyles and accouterments of their cultures.

Today, Guillemin's pieces remain in high demand. In 2008, a pair of busts he crafted in 1884, called Femme Kabyle d'Algerie and Janissaire du Sultan Mahmoud II, sold at auction for more than $1 million. 

On 1stDibs, find Émile Guillemin sculptures, lighting and tableware.

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Creator: Émile Guillemin
Émile Guillemin, A Fine Orientalist Bust of a Young Woman
By Émile Guillemin
Located in Brighton, West Sussex
Émile-Coriolan-Hippolyte Guillemin (French, 1841-1907) A Fine Multipatinated Bronze Orientalist Bust of A Young Woman. Signed and dated 'Ele. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

Materials

Bronze

Émile Guillemin, A Fine Orientalist Bust of a Young Woman
Émile Guillemin, A Fine Orientalist Bust of a Young Woman

Émile Guillemin, A Fine Orientalist Bust of a Young Woman

$34,355
Pair of Orientalist Sculpted Busts by Guillemin
By Émile Guillemin
Located in London, GB
Pair of Orientalist sculpted busts by Guillemin French, circa 1880-1890 Male figure: Height 89.5cm, width 65cm, depth 40cm Female figure: Height 79.5...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Orientalist Sculpted Busts by Guillemin
Pair of Orientalist Sculpted Busts by Guillemin

Pair of Orientalist Sculpted Busts by Guillemin

$274,840 Sale Price / set
20% Off
Pair of 19th Century French Terracotta Busts of Children Signed E. Guillemin
By Émile Guillemin
Located in Dallas, TX
Decorate an office shelf with this cheerful pair of antique terracotta children busts. Crafted in Paris, France circa 1880, each subject features a child face sculpture standing on a black painted socle base. Each figure has wonderful facial expressions and nice details. Both artworks are signed on the back E. Guillemin with marks reading "Quai Jemmapes 6". The busts are in excellent condition with the original terracotta patinated finish. Émile Coriolan Hippolyte Guillemin (1841-1907) was a French sculptor of the Belle Époque. He worked mainly in bronze and also made artwork subjects in terracotta. He studied under his father, the painter Auguste Guillemin, and under Jean-Jules Salmson. He showed work at the Salon of Paris from 1870-1899, and in 1897 received an honorable mention there. His sculptures incorporated themes inspired by the French revolution, Mediterranean mythology, and orientalist aesthetics. His oeuvre is reminiscent of other mid-18th century European bronze sculptors, including Jef Lambeaux, Marcel...
Category

Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

Materials

Terracotta

Pair of 19th Century French Terracotta Busts of Children Signed E. Guillemin
Pair of 19th Century French Terracotta Busts of Children Signed E. Guillemin

Pair of 19th Century French Terracotta Busts of Children Signed E. Guillemin

$1,300 / set
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This bust sensitively captures the beauty and innocence of youth. Her thick hair is worn in a single braid; her head is thrown back as she laughs. The sculptor, who signs indistinctl...
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Pair of E. Guillemin Bronze Gladiator Figures
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H 36 in W 14 in D 9 in
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Late 19th Century French Moorish Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

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H 9 in W 4 in D 3 in
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Fine Late 19th Century Terracotta Bust of a Young Maiden by Carrier Belleuse
By Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse
Located in Long Island City, NY
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Bust of young woman in alabaster, signed "A Genna" - Amadéo Gennarelli
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Previously Available Items
E. Guillemin, (1841-1907) An Antique French Bust of a Nubian in Original Gilt and Patinated Bronze mounted on Rouge Marble Base
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Located in New York, NY
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Category

19th Century French Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

Materials

Bronze

E. Guillemin, (1841-1907) An Antique French Bust of a Nubian in Original Gilt and Patinated Bronze mounted on Rouge Marble Base
E. Guillemin, (1841-1907) An Antique French Bust of a Nubian in Original Gilt and Patinated Bronze mounted on Rouge Marble Base

E. Guillemin, (1841-1907) An Antique French Bust of a Nubian in Original Gilt and Patinated Bronze mounted on Rouge Marble Base

H 21.5 in W 10 in
19th Century Sculpture Titled "What a Fly" by E. Guillemin
By Émile Guillemin
Located in Queens, NY
Signed by E. Guillemin and titled "What a Fly," this 19th century metal torso is composed in the form of an African American boy wearing a plumed straw hat...
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19th Century American Victorian Antique Émile Guillemin Busts

Materials

Metal

19th Century Sculpture Titled "What a Fly" by E. Guillemin
19th Century Sculpture Titled "What a Fly" by E. Guillemin

19th Century Sculpture Titled "What a Fly" by E. Guillemin

H 28 in W 27 in D 14 in

Émile Guillemin busts for sale on 1stDibs.

Émile Guillemin busts are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Émile Guillemin busts, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original busts by Émile Guillemin were created in the Victorian style in france during the 19th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider busts by F. Barbedienne Foundry, and Ferdinand Barbedienne. Prices for Émile Guillemin busts can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,300 and can go as high as $309,701, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $10,500.

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