Early 20th Century Bronze of an Allegorical Figure by Georges Bareau

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About the Item

An late 19th century French bronze of an allegorical figure reading a scroll, with a gilt bronze laurel wreath adorning her head mounted on a brown marble base. This sculpture is titled 'L'Histoire' and also known as 'La Poesie', after a sculpture by Georges Bareau, stamped F. Barbedienne Fondeur, and complete with the A. Collas Seal. The poet is missing her bronze feather quill. Georges Marie Valentin Bareau (1866-1931) was a French sculptor who attended the famous École des Beaux Arts in Paris and exhibited works at the Salon from 1889, receiving several medals including the gold medal in 1900. L'Histoire circa 1900 is displayed in the Musée des beaux-arts de Besançon. Many of Bareau's works were cast at the Barbedienne Foundry. Achille Collas (1795-1859) invented a machine which involved copying sculptures on a smaller scale whilst maintaining the details of the originals. This meant that the smaller versions of famous museum pieces became accessible to a larger audience. The process was called 'reduction méchanique' and these pieces of sculpture are stamped with the seal 'reduction méchanique A. Collas, Brevete'. Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) was a French metalworker who built one of the most important bronze foundries in France. He predominantly worked with A. Collas but also worked with Antoine Louis Barye and Auguste Rodin amongst others. He went into business in 1838 with Achille Collas selling the miniature bronzes and they founded the company 'Collas et Barbedienne'. In 1843 they extended their works to living artists but had to pause the business activities in 1870 in order to make cannons for the Franco-Prussian war. Barbedienne was elected President of the Reunion of Bronze Makers from 1865-1885. Please note that the jewellery shown in some photography is not included.

Creator:
Achille Collas (Manufacturer),Ferdinand Barbedienne (Metalworker),Georges Bareau (Sculptor)
Dimensions:
Height: 26.19 in (66.5 cm)Width: 10.83 in (27.5 cm)Depth: 10.83 in (27.5 cm)
Style:
Beaux Arts (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1900
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Donhead St Mary, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: KBS3181stDibs: LU5069129730562

Shop All Ferdinand Barbedienne

Ferdinand Barbedienne

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.

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