Harlequin by R. de Saint Marceaux, Cast by F. Barbedienne, France, Circa 1880

Total height with mirror: 383 cm (151 in.) Console : Height : 97 cm (38 in.) ; Length : 291 cm (114 in.) ; Depth : 47 cm (18 in.) Height with pedestals : 178 cm (70 in.) – Width of pedestals tops : 36 x 23 cm (14 x 9 in.) Provenance: Hôtel de Bourbon-Condé, for the Conte de Chambrun, 12 rue Monsieur, 7th arrondissement, Paris. This magnificent white carrare and bleu turquin marble Louis XVI style console is embellished with carved and gilded bronze ornaments. The belt, adorned with a fluted frieze, masks of Bacchus and rosettes, is standing on six spirally fluted feet with foliage on the extremities. The part meant to be placed against the wall is divided in several pannels framed with moulded and beaded bronze. Above the console stands a giltwood and white-painted mirror, richly decorated at its top with a carved head of Apollo flanked by acanthus leaves and treillis. The mirror is framed by two patinated bronze female figures, each holding seven-light candelabra and standing on pedestals richly adorned with laurel garlands and bronze frames. These are casts by F.Barbedienne, after models by J.A.J. Falguière and P.Dubois (they are signed to the base, one ‘FALGVIERE and F.BARBEDIENNE. FONDEUR’, the other ‘P.DUBOIS’ and ‘F.BARBEDIENNE’). The original models of these bronzes were shown at the 1867 Exposition Universelle before being installed at the Château de Compiègne for the enjoyment of Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. The masterful console was commissionned to Barbedienne around 1880 to garnish the interiors of the Conte de Chambrun at the Hôtel de Bourbon-Condé, 12 rue Monsieur, 7th arrondissement, Paris. This console was part of the sale of the count’s art and furniture collections that took place on the 18th of June 1900 after the count’s death (listed as lot n°52 in the sale catalogue). Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne, the most important caster of bronze pieces of art during the second half of the 19th Century, created and directed in Paris one of the major artistic founderies of his time. Barbedienne specialised in classical reproductions, whose models were exposed in famous European museums. Their illustrated catalogues included many diverse objects such as busts, ornemental sculpture (clocks, candelabras, cups) sometimes even life-sized and also bronzes for furniture. Apart from his own production, Barbedienne worked for the most renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Clésinger and Carrier-Belleuse. All his works were highly esteemed and he, himself honoured by contemporary critics. At the London exhibition in 1851 Barbedienne's firm won two « Council medals ». At the 1855 Universal Exhibition, he won a medal of honour. The success of Barbedienne's firm brought him many official commissions. At the London Universal Exhibition of 1862 Barbedienne won medals in three different categories : Furniture, Silversmith work and Artistic bronzes. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d'Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes. Paul Dubois (1829-1905) studied law before entering the workshop of Toussaint, then the School of Fine Arts. After travelling in Italy, he participated to the Salon of 1863 and won the third medal for the sculpture category. He won several other medals : the Medal of Honour with his Florentine Singer...

Signed P. Dubois 1865 and F. Barbedienne fondeur Stamped with réduction mécanique Collas A patinated bronze « Florentine Singer » sculpture, inspir...

Signed F. Barbedienne Rare Ottoman style gilded bronze chandelier composed of an openwork crown, from which ten arms of light emerge, holding six transparent glasses decorated with ...

Signed F. Barbedienne on the mount. Charming pair of small curved-shaped vases in patinated and gilded bronze and polychrome cloisonné enamel decorated with flowers and birds. With ...

A similar model was exposed at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition ( see picture attached) Patinated and gilded bronze gueridon with four paw feet joined by X-shaped stems, attributed to Sévin and Barbedienne. Round green marble top mounted with a bronze rim adorned with oves and pearls motif. Born in 1821 and dead in Paris in 1888, Louis-Constant Sévin was apprenticed to the parisian sculptor Marneuf. In 1839, he joined the sculptor-modelors Phénix and Joyau, as designer, and designed silver-smith’s objects for famous firms like Denière, Froment-Meurice, Morel and Duponchel. During the Revolution in 1848, C. Sévin joined Morel in London, as workshop manager and designed pieces that Morel exhibited in 1851. Back in France in 1851, C. Sévin went to Limoges and designed models for the porcelain factories of Jouhanneaud and Dubois of which many pieces were exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in 1855. From this date on, he worked for Ferdinand Barbedienne as sculptor-ornemanist until the end of his life. Sévin’s works are considerable, he designed furniture bronzes for the « hôtel de La Païva ». At the London Exhibition in 1862, he was awarded a medal « pour l’excellence artistique des meubles qu’il a dessinés et qui sont exposés par Barbedienne » : for the artistic excellence of the furniture he designed and which is exhibited by F. Barbedienne. He won a second class medal at the Union centrale des Arts décoratifs Exhibition in 1863 and was awarded a gold medal as « cooperator ». F. Barbedienne said that posterity would remember Sévin’s compositions. The most extraordinary object designed by C. Sévin for F. Barbedienne, was a Renaissance style gilded bronze monumental clock...

Pair of Greek style vases made two patina bronze. Each, designed in the shape of a tripod amphora adorned with Hercules heads, is decorated in low-relief...

Small antique gilded French bronze bust by Rene de Saint-Marceaux Named and marked E. Polo and dated 1897 This small gilded bronze is a bust of a child signed D. St. Rene for Ren...

A Bronze Statuette of Arlequin by Charles-René de Paul de Saint-Marceaux. Cast by Barbedienne. The mischievous Harlequin, arms crossed in contemplation, wearing a grin and a mask, treading the boards of the stage, as befits his leading place in the Commedia dell'arte. Signed by the fondeur, Ferdinand Barbedienne, having the foundry cachet, and dated 1879, and the sculptor's name, St. Marceaux. French, Circa 1880. Paul de Saint-Marceaux (1845-1915) Son of a Reims wine merchant, entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris under the tutelage of Jouffroy, exhibiting at the Salon of 1868, studying later in Italy. Considerable success followed, and he was awarded gold medals at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, having been elected as a Chevalier to the Legion d'Honneur in 1880, and later becoming an officer. His public Parisian works may be seen in the Champs-Elysees (Alphonse Daudet the noted novelist) and Alexander Dumas...

A fine quality bronze sculpture of Gloria Carrying the Angel Victis, Cast by Barbedienne and After a Model by Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercie´ (French, 1845-1916). The draped figure...

PIERRE JULES MENE French, 1810-1879 "Valet de Limier" (1879) Patinated bronze Signed in cast "P.J. MÊNE", incised "F. BARBEDIENNE FONDEUR" to base Item # 109LWK22S This was the...

A bronze Statuette of Arlequin by Charles-René de Paul de Saint-Marceaux Cast by Barbedienne. The mischievous Harlequin, arms crossed in contemplation, wearing a grin and a mask, tr...

This cast bronze sculpture of the Venus de Milo dates to the 1860s-1880s and was cast by the F. Barbedinne foundry in Paris started in 1838 by Ferdinand Barbedienne and Achille Colla...