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.
Crouching Venus Grand Tour Bronze Patinated Sculpture F. Barbedienne Fondeur
By F. Barbedienne Foundry
Located in Rochester, NY
Grand tour bronze sculpture of the "Crouching Venus" after the antique. Fine patina. 19th century. Ferdinand Barbedienne (French, 1821-1902). not signed . rare. museum...
Bronze
$4,650
H 55.91 in W 7.88 in D 7.88 in
Patricia III by Nando Kallweit. Tall, elegant bronze sculpture of human figure.
By Nando Kallweit
Located in Coltishall, GB
Patricia III is a tall, elegant bronze sculpture of a human figure. Nando Kallweit is a German sculptor working in bronze and oak. Kallweit carves the original piece from a piece...
Bronze
Marie
Located in LE HAVRE, FR
Jacques COQUILLAY (né en 1935) Marie Original bronze Size : 56x39x17cm Copy No. 4/8 Signature and numbered on the base. Original bronze made with ...
Bronze
$37,606
H 43.31 in W 9.85 in D 7.88 in
Eva Bronze Sculpture Female Nude Figure Contemporary
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Eva Bronze Sculpture Female Nude Figure Contemporary The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. Th...
Bronze
$16,922
H 9.06 in W 19.69 in D 3.94 in
Vallende Man Falling Man Bronze Sculpture Contemporary
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Vallende Man Falling Man Bronze Sculpture Contemporary The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. They breathe the atmosphere of a narrative po...
Bronze
$25,854
H 41.34 in W 9.85 in D 7.88 in
Uma Lady Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Lady Nude Female Woman Contemporary
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Uma Lady Bronze Sculpture Contemporary Lady Nude Female Woman Contemporary The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal h...
Bronze
Victoire
Located in LE HAVRE, FR
Jacques COQUILLAY (né en 1935) Victoire Original bronze Size : 105 x 22 x 20 cm Copy No. 1/8 Signature and numbered on the base. Original bronze m...
Bronze
$16,922
H 14.97 in W 23.63 in D 11.82 in
Madame Butterfly Bronze Sculpture Story Tragedy Opera Female Nude Figure
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Madame Butterfly Bronze Sculpture Story Tragedy Opera Female Nude Figure The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. They breathe the atmosphere...
Bronze
$8,778
H 29.53 in W 7.88 in D 3.15 in
Nymph Bronze Sculpture Nude Girl Mythology Green Patina Hair Limited Edition
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Nymph Bronze Sculpture Nude Girl Mythology Green Patina Hair In Stock - Plexiglass pedestal extra 10 cm Limited Edition The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, p...
Bronze
$10,031
H 9.06 in W 9.85 in D 5.91 in
Visje Little Fish Nude Female Bronze Sculpture Woman Lady Limited Edition
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Visje Little Fish Nude Female Bronze Sculpture Woman Lady Contemporary Brown LImited Edition The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. They br...
Bronze
$11,281
H 8.27 in W 11.82 in D 7.88 in
Dagdroomster Daydreamer Bronze Sculpture Nude Female Contemporary Woman Lady
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Dagdroomster Daydreamer Bronze Sculpture Nude Female Contemporary Woman Lady The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. They breathe the atmosp...
Bronze
$8,778
H 18.9 in W 7.88 in D 7.88 in
Vrouw met Uil Owl Bronze Sculpture Girl with Owl on Head Wisdom
By Erwin Meijer
Located in Utrecht, NL
Uil Owl Bronze Sculpture Girl with Owl on Head Wisdom Contemporary The statues of Erwin Meijer are subtle with a recognizable, personal handwriting. They breathe the atmosphere of a narrative poem, where the reader not only encounters the artist, but also himself. Though the statues are realistic, there is still enough room for interpretation. Do the artist and the viewer see the same story? It doesn’t really matter, because the beauty in his work has a autonome quality. How can we interprete the work in the conscious and unconscious brain? The first will be hit by the clear styled forms and the technical know-how. The second by his favourite theme, nature, the loving images of men and animals, often together in harmony. Very common in his work is the symbolic worth within the story. The viewer experiences an emotion, seeing a human or human presence, funny or vulnerable. You sympathize with the myth and feel the power of the methaphorical meaning. This is confirms we are dealing with a real artist. Erwin Meijer managed very well to give his sculptures a classic universality, timeless, surpassing the boundaries of reality. With a signature beyond countries and cultures. . East and west meet each other in many sculptures, like Europe and the bull...
Bronze
$7,638
H 24.41 in W 5.12 in D 4.34 in
Walking Naked Sculpture, Polished Bronze, Vintage Figurative Art, 62cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
The sculpture depicts a naked girl walking. Her body is stylized and refined. Polished bronze creates a play of reflections on the metal, as if the sun's rays were playing on a livin...
Bronze
Sold
H 18.5 in W 22.5 in D 14 in
Large Grand Tour Bronze Greco-Roman Uffizi Wrestlers Ferdinand Barbedienne
By F. Barbedienne Foundry
Located in Rochester, NY
Grand tour circa 1860s bronze of the Wrestlers. Rich fine dark brown patina. Marked "F. Barbedienne Fondeur." The Wrestlers also known as The Two Wrestlers, The Uffizi Wrestlers...
Metal, Bronze