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.
Auguste-Nicolas CAÏN, two monumental bronze groups, original stone bases, 1893
By Ferdinand Barbedienne, Auguste Cain
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
These two groups were commissioned by Jacques Stern (1839-1902) from one of the greatest animal painters of the second half of the 19th century, Auguste-Nicolas Caïn, renowned for hi...
Stone, Bronze
$5,500 / set
H 14 in W 31 in D 12 in
Pair of English 1920s Cast Stone Reclining Lion Sculptures on Conforming Bases
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of English cast stone reclining lions statues from the early 20th century, on rectangular bases. Created in England during the first quarter of the 20th century, each of this ...
Cast Stone
Monumental Pair of Italian Carved Stone Obelisks
Located in Rome, IT
Pair of finely carved elegant stone obelisks on a square base. Timeless decoration for your garden or interior. Measurements, Obelisks - Height cm 210 ( 83 inches ) Bases- Height cm...
Stone
$2,250Sale Price / set|50% Off
H 16.5 in Dm 20 in
Monumental Pair of Antique Cast Stone Fruit and Flower Baskets
Located in Redding, CT
Monumental pair of antique cast stone fruit and flower baskets. Lovely aged patina to these beautiful detailed bouquets. These incredible garden ornam...
Stone, Cement
$48,000 / set
H 54 in W 27.5 in D 27.5 in
Pair of Monumental Carved Stone Garden Fruit Basket from Famed Vouziers Mansion
Located in St. Louis, MO
Pair of unique monumental hand-carved stone garden fruit basket from famed Vouziers Mansion Florissant, Missouri. The French Country Chateau Vouziers was built in 1926 on a 250 acre estate for Magnet Joseph Desloge, part of the oldest French families in the USA. These Baskets were commissioned for the residence and imported from France. Each basket is unique and has it's own base. Stone has patina, appear to have been cleaned. Minor loss, see photos. Additional documentation is available. Limestone bases are 23.5" H x 27.5" W. Baskets are (need to measure). These were purchase from the estate of Joseph Desloge's daughter, Anne Desloge Werner Bates, and confirmed by her son and daughter that they were moved upon the sale of Vouziers in the 1970s to Anne's residence that was part of the Vouziers 250 acre estate. From Wikipedia : The Desloge Family /dəˈloʊʒ/, one of the oldest French families in United States, Missouri and St. Louis, rose to wealth through international commerce, sugar refining, oil...
Stone
Pair of Monumental Chinese Stone Spirit Way Tigers, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
These monumental stone tiger sculptures offer protection to all those who stand before them. Hand-carved from solid limestone with terrific scale and careful detail, the majestic tig...
Limestone
$76,000Sale Price / item|39% Off
H 46 in W 24 in D 16 in
China Pair Monumental Antique Stone Spirit Pathway Tigers, Qing period 1750-1850
Located in South Burlington, VT
China Monumental Pair (2) Antique Stone “Spirit Pathway” Tigers, middle Qing period 1750-1850. Please view our video. Dimensions: 115cm, 46” high and 60cm, 24” in width. Likely utilized as spirit pathway tomb markers, these powerful, benign carved sitting effigies perched on haunches and front paws with round heads and faces exposing defined eye sockets, ears and two fangs a top bases that feature curled tails on side each whole atop a block shaped base and hand-carved from limestone whose surfaces show considerable weatherization from exposure and good age. Reference: 35 Years Collecting 35 Treasures, Schneible Fine Arts catalog Number 30, p. 66. Provenance: originally found in Fujian Province. Fujian has the distinction of being home to China’s last remaining wild tigers and famous “tiger” mountain. No wonder then that these early stone works...
Limestone
Monumental Bronze Iron Venus De Medici Statue
Located in Vosselaar, BE
A, near life-size, 19th century French cast iron statue depicting the Venus de Medici. This statue is a high quality cast after the antique marble Ven...
Iron
$57,585Sale Price|20% Off
H 84.65 in W 61.03 in D 27.56 in
Monumental Bronze Sculpture of Laocoön, Italy, 1950s
Located in Madrid, ES
An extraordinary monumental bronze sculpture depicting the iconic figure of Laocoön and his sons, inspired by the classical Hellenistic masterpiece. Cast in Italy during the 1950s, t...
Bronze
Monumental York Stone Carving After the Parthenon Frieze
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A huge, weathered York stone carving of a neoclassical or Roman figure on horseback after the antique 6th century BC Greek Parthenon Frieze. Spanning approximately 1.9 x 1.2 m (6ft x...
Stone
Large Antique Pair of Bronze Sphinxs on Rocky Bases
Located in Hudson, NY
This unusual pair of sphinxes resting upon rocky large bases are French we believe. Modeled and cast around the time of Carter's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and showing some...
Bronze
$6,900
H 68.25 in W 39 in D 30 in
Vintage Cast Bronze Sculpted Group of Three Monkeys Sitting in a Verdigris Tree
Located in Yonkers, NY
A vintage lost wax cast bronze sculpted group of three monkeys in a tree in Verde and bronze patina. This vintage item is currently available for sale and we can make new ones (lead ...
Bronze
1990s Vintage Monumental Bronze Seated Woman Statue
Located in North Hollywood, CA
This striking bronze sculpture of a seated female figure, created in the United States circa the 1990s, captures both strength and serenity through its elongated, stylized form. The ...
Bronze