Items Similar to French Bronze Opposing Figures Allégorie du Printemps Ferdinand Barbedienne
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21
French Bronze Opposing Figures Allégorie du Printemps Ferdinand Barbedienne
About the Item
OPPOSING PAIR OF BRONZE FIGURES
Form our Bronze Sculpture collection, we are delighted to offer this French opposing pair of Bronze Figures Allégorie du Printemps by Ferdinand Barbedienne. The good sized pair of Bronze Allegorical Groups figures cast after the originals by Antoine Coysevox (1640-1720). The Bronze Figures depict Printemps (Allegory of spring) with Flora and Cupid ( Flore et un Amour) and Hamadryad (Nymph of the Oak). The Flora figure grasps a floral swag outstretched in both hands seated in front of the winged cupid holding a floral wreath. The Hamadryad figure of similar stature with an outstretched hand leaning on the cut stump with oak vines beside a child (cherub). Both the bronze figure are signed A. Coysevox. F. 1710 and are cast after the originals by the world famous Barbedienne foundry. The Flora and Cupid figure is signed along side the Coysevox signature, F. Barbedienne Fondeur with the foundry stamp reduction mecanique A. Collas Brevette. The French Bronze Figures Allégorie du Printemps by Barbedienne date to the middle of the 19th century Circa 1850 and are a beautifully opposing pair meaning they face each other in a setting rather than being an identical copy ‘pair’.
The figures have had various names including two faces of love, Allégorie du Printemps, Allegory of spring, Printemps, Flora et l’Amour, Flora and Cupid, Flore (Flora), Flore et un Amour (Flora and Cupid), Flore et Zéphyr (Flora and Zephyr), Hamadryade et enfant (Hamadryad and infant) and Nymphe des forêts (Forest Nymph) but actually depict Flore and Hamadryad.
REFERENCE
See the originals by Antoine Coysevox housed in The Louvre, Paris inventory number MR 1819 for Hamadryade et enfant and inventory number MR 1818 for Flore
ALLEGORIE DU PRINTEMPS (ALLEGORY OF SPRING)
also known as Primavera is a large panel painting in tempera paint by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli made in the late 1470s or early 1480s. The painting depicts a group of figures from classical mythology in a garden. The painting is believed to be an allegory based on the lush growth of Spring, but accounts of any precise meaning vary, though many involve the Renaissance Neoplatonism which then fascinated intellectual circles in Florence. The subject was first described as Primavera by the art historian Giorgio Vasari who saw it at Villa Castello, just outside Florence, by 1550. The painting is believed to depict the charities (three graces), Venus, Flora the goddess of flowers, Mercury, Chloris and Zephyrus.
FERDINAND BARBEDIENNE (1810-1892)
Born in Saint-Pierre-en-Auge, Northwestern France. Barbedienne began life as a wallpaper salesman before going into partnership with Achille Collas in 1838 the founder of a mechanical device capable of replicating miniature models of famous sculptures. From 1838 Barbedienne grew substantially to become one of the most well known French founders and sculptures of the 19th century. See our article Insight Ferdinand Barbedienne and makers and retailers Ferdinand Barbedienne for further information.
ACHILLE COLLAS (1795–1859)
Born in Paris, France. He was an a celebrated engineer, inventor, writer and engraver who developed a way of mechanically creating engravings and a machine to copy sculptures at a smaller scale, the so-called Réduction Méchanique, which popularised small sculptures and has been credited with being almost entirely responsible for the transformation of the bronze industry.
ANTOINE COYSEVOX (1640-1720)
Charles Antoine Coysevox was a French sculptor working in the Baroque and Louis XIV style. Coysevox was best known for his sculpture decorating the gardens and Palace of Versailles and his portrait busts.
BRONZE
is a metal alloy consisting of copper, about 12% tin and often other metals such as aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc and sometimes, non-metals such as phosphorus, arsenic and, silicon. The additions produce a range of alloys that are harder than copper alone and often have other useful properties such as strength, ductility, and/or machinability.
FLORA AND CUPID
In Greek mythologies Love symbolises Cupid, the god of love. At this fraction of flowers, the god of love Cupid came to flora, the goddess of flowers and spring, to create a flower ‘as delicious as the rose’ and ‘stately as the lily in her pride’. As a result Flora creates a flower by combining the characteristics of rose and lily. She creates the lotus flower that combines the redness of rose with paleness of the lily.
Flora, in Roman religion is known as the goddess of the flowering of plants. Titus Tatius (according to tradition, the Sabine king who ruled with Romulus) is said to have introduced her cult to Rome and her temple stood near the Circus Maximus. Her festival, called the Floralia, was instituted in 238 BC. A representation of Flora’s head, distinguished only by a floral crown, appeared on coins of the republic.
Depicted in the painting above it has been surmised that a nymph called Chloris was kissed by the West Wind, Zephyrus, and was turned into Flora.
HAMADRYAD
was also known as Nymph of the Oak, is a Greek mythological being that lives in trees. It was said that Hamadryads actually lived inside the oak trees and died when their trees died. In Greek mythology, Hamadryas was the nymph daughter of Orius (mountain-god of Othrys or the Pindus) and sister Oxylus (daimon of the mountain forest).
- Creator:Ferdinand Barbedienne (Metalworker)
- Dimensions:Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)Width: 9.06 in (23 cm)Depth: 7.49 in (19 cm)
- Style:Napoleon III (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Bronze,Cast
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1850
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Newark, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: HBKSDD1stDibs: LU6971242555662
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.
About the Seller
5.0
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2019
1stDibs seller since 2022
34 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Newark, United Kingdom
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllFrench Bronze Figures Allégorie du Printemps Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Newark, England
OPPOSING PAIR OF BRONZE FIGURES
Form our Bronze Sculpture collection, we are delighted to offer this French opposing pair of Bronze Figures Allégorie du Printemps by Ferdinand Barb...
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XIV Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
French Champleve and Onyx Urns Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Newark, England
Onyx & Champleve Enamel
From our Decorative collection, we are delighted to offer this pair of French Champleve and Onyx Urns attributed to Barbedienne. The Urns of typical form wi...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Urns
Materials
Onyx, Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu
French Bronze Ariadne After Clodion
By Claude Michel Clodion
Located in Newark, England
Signed Clodion
From our Sculpture collection, we are pleased to offer this French Belle Epoque Bronze of Ariadne cast after Clodion (Claude Michel). The sculpture of fine casting and beautiful patination is sculpted as a bust of a Ariadne in nature with her hair tied up and leaves intwined in her hair. The Bronze sits upon a circular socle with a square base signed to the right hand face Clodion. The Bronze cast after the original during the neoclassical era dating to the second half of the 19th century during the Belle Epoque era (c.1970-1914) circa 1875.
Clodion was the alias of Claude Michel (1738-1814) a French born sculptor working in the Rococo style, especially noted for his works in marble, bronze, & terracotta. Many of Clodion’s works feature in museum collections around the world with some of his most pivotal works including The Intoxication of Wine and The Dance of Time.
Ariadne In Greek mythology was a Cretan princess and the daughter of King Minos of Crete. Ariadne was known for aiding Theseus escape the Minotaur and then being abandoned by him on the island of Naxos. There, Dionysus saw Ariadne sleeping, fell in love with her, and later married her. Many versions of the myth recount Dionysus throwing Ariadne’s jewelled crown into the sky to create a constellation, the Corona Borealis...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Busts
Materials
Bronze
French Strawberry Girl Bronze Figure Emile Pinedo
By Émile Pinedo
Located in Newark, England
The unusual model bronze dating to the late 19th century cast as a patinated bronze cherub holding two large strawberries with the vine looping over the back of the cherubs neck as i...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
French Bronze Figure by Jean Didier Debut
By Jean Didier Debut
Located in Newark, England
NAMED PORTEUR D’EAU TUNISIEN
From our Antique Bronze Sculpture collection, we are delighted to offer this French Bronze Figure by Jean Didier Debut. The figure named Porteur d’eau Tunisien (Tunisian Water Bearer) is exceptionally cast upon a slightly rounded plinth base with a natural textured surface. The figure stands bearing two pales of water dressed...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
French Antique Bronze Sculpture by Eutrope Bouret
By Eutrope Bouret
Located in Newark, England
Lady and the Bee
From our Bronze Sculpture collection, we are delighted to offer this beautiful French Bronze Sculpture by Eutrope Bouret. The Sculpture modelled in bronze with a su...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
You May Also Like
Ferdinand Barbedienne Bronze Boy & Goose Sculpture 19th Century
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A finely patinated French antique bronze by Ferdinand Barbedienne portraying a a young boy caressing a large goose. The figure is mounted on an a...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Animal Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Sculpture in Patinated Bronze by Ferdinand Barbedienne, 19th Century.
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sculpture in patinated bronze by Ferdinand Barbedienne, 19th century, Napoleon III period.
A 19th century patinated bronze sculpture, Napoleon I...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
French Marble and Bronze Inkwell Signed Ferdinand Barbedienne, Paris, circa 1870
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Milan, IT
A Verona red marble remarkable inkwell, pure Empire style representing a gilded bronze of the bust of Antinous as Dioniso. Empire style, Generous size, excellent state of preservatio...
Category
Antique 1860s French Empire Inkwells
Materials
Marble, Bronze
Antique Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Diana by Ferdinand Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in London, GB
Antique Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Diana by Ferdinand Barbedienne
French, late 19th Century
Dimensions: Height 60cm, width 22cm, depth 22cm
This...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Neoclassical Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Ferdinand Barbedienne Bronze Venus de Milo Sculpture
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Miami, US
This exquisite bronze sculpture of the Venus de Milo dates to the late 19th century and is a beautifully detailed representation of the iconic ancient Greek statue. With a rich brown...
Category
Antique Late 19th Century French Classical Greek Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Bronze
19th Century Silvered Bronze Athénienne Jardinière by Ferdinand Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
A French silvered-bronze athénienne by Ferdinand Barbedienne, Paris, last quarter 19th century with a revolving liner, the frieze applied with bucrania suspending ribbon-tied berried laurel swags above a border of bellflowers on a stippled ground above three seated female sphinxes issuing stylised foliage and scrolls on lion monopodia cast with the mask of Hercules, scrolling foliage and anthemions joined by stretchers, raised on a concave-sided triform marble base on a further thin silvered-bronze base, inscribed to the tripod base 'F. BARBEDIENNE'
Measures: 103.3cm. high, 41.5cm. diameter; 3ft. 4 3/8 in, 1ft. 4 1/4.
This impressive athénienne is a key reminder of the longevity of a particular model and design’s success from Antiquity through to the 19th century and up until this day. Typically known as the ‘Trépied du Temple d’Isis’, this athénienne is designed after the Roman antique originally found at Pompeii and now at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples (fig.1). From being for example an inspiration for the baptismal font of Napoléon’s son in 1811, this model was the inspiration to many highly skilled makers throughout the 19thcentury such as the Manfredini brothers from Milan and of course the Parisian well-established bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne who executed the present example.
The Temple of Isis was a Roman temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Isis and was among one of the first discoveries during the excavation of Pompeii in 1764. Certainly considered as one of the most elegant examples of antique tripods, the existence of this model was then popularized to the rest of Europe via prints, one of the first being by Giovanni Battista Piranesi in 1779. This type of tripod was also popularised by an engraving in C. Percier and P. Fontaine’s, Receuil de Décorations Intérieures of 1801. Interestingly, there is also a watercolour now in the Musée Carnavalet, Paris, showing this type of tripod displayed at the 1801 Exposition des Produits de L’Industrie in the Louvre.
The passion for Greek and Roman Art in the 19th century.
The discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum around the middle of the 18th century gave rise to a new passion for Antiquity and the excavated masterpieces renewed the repertoire of fine and decorative arts and served as models for Neoclassicism. Members of the aristocracy as well as connoisseurs, particularly in England, completed their education by undertaking a ‘Grand Tour’ of Italy and often fell victim to the recently unearthed Greek and Roman artefacts...
Category
Antique 19th Century French Grand Tour Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Materials
Marble, Silver Plate, Bronze
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Gold Coin French
Antique Tin Signs
Primavera France
Allegorical Paintings
Napoleon Engraving
Engraved Coin
Mercury Scale
Hand Painted Wallpaper Panels
Antique French Wallpaper
Miniature Painting Pair
Portrait Of Napoleon Iii
Circus Bronze
Engraving Louis Xiv
Roman Coin Bc
Antique Stamp Machines
Antique Wallpaper Panels
Italian Cast Aluminum Garden Furniture
19th Century French Wallpaper