F. Barbedienne Foundry Jars

Grand tour bronze sculpture of the "Crouching Venus" after the antique. Fine patina. 19th century. Ferdinand Barbedienne (French, 1821-1902). # nude fe...

Bronze figure of the Borghese Gladiator after the antique original. Stamped on the base “F. Barbedienne” and marked “Reduction Mécanique A. Collas.” The reduction was made using Achi...

A terrific pair of early 20th century Creuzet - foundry Pots from France. Fabulous patina. Fabulous as jardinieres or planters. Perfect for any interior of...

A Pair of 19th Century, Napoleon III, French F. Barbedienne Signed Ormolu and Champleve Enamel Tri-Footed Vases, with Mythical Beast/Dragon Heads Each vase is formed with a flared t...

Pair of very elegant classicist candlesticks in fine patinated bronze, signed BARBEDIENNE. The execution of the casting is extremely finely worked with delicate leaves on the outer wall of the candlestick, with a head of antiquity on the upper part of the stem which flows into the lower part with fluting and side volutes. The 3 curved legs stand on raised feet with delicate strappy sandals. Measures: The diameter at the top is 3.5cm and at the bottom 13.5cm Ferdinand Barbedienne (* August 6, 1810 in Saint-Martin-de-Fresnay, Calvados department, France; † March 21, 1892 in Paris) was a French sculptor, bronze ware manufacturer, and gallery owner. One of the most important and popular Éditeurs d'art, or publishers of art articles, he had most of the French sculptors of his time under contract. Life and work Ferdinand Barbedienne was the son of a farmer. At the age of 13, he learned the Craft of saddlery. In 1822 he moved to Paris, where he first worked as a clerk in a wallpaper shop. He received start-up capital from his employer to open his own store, which he set up on Rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette in 1834. He pursued the idea of exhibiting bronze statues in addition to his core business and mass producing them in small format. In 1838, he joined forces with the mechanic Achille Collas, who had developed the machine á reduction (réducteur for short); a device based on the principles of the pantograph that could reproduce three-dimensional objects in any size - reduced or enlarged. On November 29, 1838, both signed the founding contract for the company Société Ferdinand Barbedienne et Achille Collas, which aimed to commercially exploit the mechanized production of sculptural works for an initial 20 years. Barbedienne took care of the commercial management of the company, while Collas contributed the patent on his invention and seven existing machines, and with his profound knowledge of machinery was responsible for the production processes. Together they decided on the subject matter of the objects, the selling prices, and all other financial matters. In 1841, they produced casts of the Apollo of Belvedere, the Spinario, and 21 pieces with the motif of a bas-relief of the Parthenon. These were followed by versions of the Laocoon group, the Venus of Arles, and the Borghese Fencer, among others. Special interest was initially shown in works from antiquity, for which casts from the Atelier de Moulage in the Louvre served as models. The company continued to produce works by representatives of the Renaissance such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Giovanni Bologna or by French sculptors such as Jean Goujon, Jean-François Flamand, Pierre Puget, François Girardon, Antoine Coysevox...

A wonderful pair of bronze vases with high relief by Bardedienne. France, circa 1870.  

The large central circular form cloisonne enamel jardinière decorated with vari colored plum flowers and butterflies on a blue ground, with a pierced ormolu rim featuring a pineapple motif resting on a finely cast ormolu base with four legs in the form of winged Foo lions. The ormolu French, the enamel Chinese. This impressive jardinie`re is very much in the manner of objects in enamel produced by Ferdinand Barbedienne in Paris in the last quarter of the 19th century which proved universally popular. Often these pieces were designed by Edouard Lievre (d. 1886) in the Oriental taste. Ferdinand Barbedienne was a famous French metal worker and manufacturer. He presided over one of the most renowned and prolific foundries of Belle Époque Paris. His atelier created sculptures, clocks and bronze mounts of the highest quality, and his works were shown at numerous international exhibitions of the period, where he was rewarded with many medals. Among them the Grande Me´daille d'Honneur, in Paris in 1855 is particularly noteworthy. In 1838 he associated with the engineer Achille Collas (1795-1859) who had just invented a process to reproduce statues at a smaller scale. Together they founded in 1839 the company "Collas et Barbedienne" to reproduce casts of both contemporary artists and Greek and Roman antiquities. While working with Collas, Barbedienne actively pursued contracts with many sculptors of Paris contracting with David D'Angers, Jean-Baptiste Clesinger, and even producing some casts for Antoine Louis Barye as well as others. From 1860 to the years 1890, Barbedienne, eager to research new processes, experimented new techniques in champleve´ and cloisonne´-enamels, to compete with Japanese importations, very fashionable then. When Collas died in 1859, the business was left to Barbedienne as sole owner. The company who had over 300 employees was prosperous as well in the field of reproductions as in its department specialized in the casting of monumental bronzes. In 1865, he was appointed President of the Reunion of Bronze Makers until 1885. After the 1870 war...

An excellent large late 19th century antique bronze of ‘Le Soldat De Marathon Annoncant La Victoire’, also known as ‘The Soldier of Marathon Announcing the Victory’, cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne after a model by French sculptor, Jean-Pierre Cortot (1787-1843). The Barbedienne foundry produced this model in four editions. This bronze is an example of the second largest. Inscribed ‘Cortot 1834’, it is signed ‘F. Barbedienne Fondeur’ and impressed with the official stamp of the Collas et Barbedienne foundry reading: ‘Reduction Mecanique, A. Collas Brevete’. With its attractive patina and impressive scale, this bronze is a beautiful sculpture for any interior seeking artworks that are particularly exceptional. The Soldier of Marathon Inspiration for this bronze is rooted in ancient Greek mythology. It tells the story of the solider Pheidippides who, following the Greek victory at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE, ran 40km from Marathon to Athens to deliver the triumphant news before collapsing from exhaustion. The story inspires the modern-day marathon run...

Octagonal form with Asian figures! Great old paint.

Late 19th Century French Barbedienne Foundry bronze bust of the Capitoline Venus. Life size bronze bust reduction after the ancient Roman sculpture known as the Capitoline Venus, cas...

Antique French Grand Tour Patinated Bronze Barbedienne Paris Warwick Vase. Circa Mid 19th Century. Measurements: 16" H x 18" W x 12" D. Weight approx. 60 lbs.

F. Barbedienne Foundry bronze sculpture of a young boy head, circa late 19th Century. Figural bronze sculpture bust of a young boy, 19th Centu...