French Figurative Sculptures

A large patinated bronze sculpture "Salome" by Charles Octave Levy . Modeled in the orientalist style holding a sword in her hands, standing on a shaped plinth. Beautifully cast and ...

The masculine figure, of forceful posture and musculature without exaggerations, is holding the tools of his craft next to an anvil, at whose feet appear an old helmet and sword. On ...

This antique patinated bronze cast spelter table lamp was designed by A. Renieri and made in France in circa 1890 in the Victorian style. The casting is quite detailed and is entitle...

An amazing Art Deco silvered bronze sculpture of a female nude holding two parrots. Mounted on a black and green marble piece. Signed on back s...

A finely scaled model of the Diane de Gabies published by Gautier and Albinet. With a wonderful distressed silvered surface throughout. The Diane de Gabies is modeled after th...

A fine and charming French 19th-20th century carved white marble whimsical group sculpture depicting two putti (Children) playing with a dolphin, fitted for use as a fountain, Paris,...

Polychrome earthenware bust of Nantes sculptor Henriette Porson (1874–1963), created by the iconic HB factory, depicting a Bigouden grandmother. The subject wears the traditional dr...

A Patinated Bronze Figural Group of ‘Gloria Victis’ (‘Glory to the Vanquished’), Cast by Ferdinand Barbedienne from the Model by Marius-Jean-Antonin Mercié (French, 1845-1916). ‘Gloria Victis’ (‘Glory to the Vanquished’). Bronze, gilt and dark brown patina. Signed 'A. Mercié', with foundry inscription 'F. BARBEDIENNE, Fondeur. Paris.' and A. Collas reduction cachet. The integral base titled 'GLORIA VICTIS'. This cast is part of a limited edition by the Barbedienne Foundry. France. Circa 1880. ‘Gloria Victis’ is one of the most recognisable and important works of sculpture of the nineteenth century and a definitive image of France’s historic national identity. The figure of glory, winged and wearing armour, carries a dying young warrior heavenwards towards fame and immortality. The compositional daring of the group must be admired for balancing two figures on the minimal support of one foot, wings spread in the moment before taking flight. Mercié was a student at the French Academy of Rome when the Prussians invaded France in 1870. Shortly after the war had begun, he executed a group depicting the figure of Fame supporting a victorious soldier. When news reached Mercié in Rome that the French had surrendered, he decided to alter his group, replacing the victorious soldier with a defeated casualty, thus transforming an allegory of ‘Glory to the Victors’ into one of ‘Glory to the Vanquished’. Completed in 1872, a year after the defeat of French soldiers against the Prussian army, the statue personifies a defeated but heroic France. The title is also a reversal of the famous formula, ‘Vae Victis’ (Death to the Vanquished), which the Gallic general Brennus exclaimed upon defeating the Romans in 390 BC. The figure of the fallen soldier was thought to represent Henri Regnault, a fellow sculptor of Mercié who was killed on the last day of fighting. Measuring 317 cm. high the original group of ‘Gloria Victis’ was unveiled in plaster at the Salon of 1872. It was bought by the City of Paris for the sum of twelve thousand francs and then cast in bronze by Victor Thiébaut for eight thousand five hundred francs. The bronze was exhibited at the Salon in 1875 and first placed in Montholon Square in the 8th arrondissement. In 1884 it was transferred to the courtyard of the Hôtel de Ville and in 1930, it entered the collection of the Musée du Petit Palais, where it can be seen to this day. The Thiébaut Frères foundry also cast Gloria Victis bronzes for the cities of Niort (requested 1881) Bordeaux (requested 1883), Châlons-sur-Marne (today, Châlons-en-Champagne; requested 1890), and Cholet (requested 1901). In 1905, the Danish brewer and art collector Carl Jacobsen was permitted to have an exact cast made of the original sculpture in Paris, on condition that the base was made 2 cm lower and bore the inscription “Original tilhører Paris By” (The original belongs to the City of Paris). It too was cast by the Thiébaut Frères foundry. Gloria Victis was one of Jacobsen’s most important and his last acquisition. Today it has been returned to its original position in the Winter Garden at Glyptoteket, Copenhagen, Denmark. The full-size plaster was shown again at the Paris Expositon universelle of 1878 alongside a bronze reduction by Barbedienne. By this time Antonin Mercié had entered into a commercial edition contract with the Ferdinand Babedienne foundry to produce bronze reductions of Gloria Victis, his most famous work. Gloria Victis is first recorded to have been produced in three sizes and by 1886 Barbedienne’s ‘Catalogue des Bronzes D’Art’ lists six sizes measuring 3/5, 9/20, 7/20, 3/10, 6/25 and 2/10, of the original. These reductions were produced by an invention of Barbedienne’s business partner Achille Collas. The Collas reducing machine was a type of complex mechanical pantograph lathe that enabled sculpture to be mathematically measured and transcribed to scale, in the round, thus making a reduced size plaster from which a bronze could be cast. Mercié's modern sculpture had become an instant classic, even receiving an entry in the Nouveau Larousse Illustré. The success of the group undoubtedly lay in the fact that it was admired not just on an aesthetic level, but also on a patriotic level, particularly in its commemoration of heroism in defeat. Immediately ‘Gloria Victis’ was recognised as a national artwork, capable of arousing patriotism and casts were ordered from Barbedienne as local memorials commemorating the war’s dead for cities across France. ‘Gloria Victis’ was considered so much a part of France’s national identity that for the 1900 Paris Exhibition, Ferdinand Barbedienne’s nephew Gustave Leblanc, loaned a bronze example to feature as part of l’Exposition centennale de l’art français. Literature: For an interesting account of the process of creating a reduction in bronze of the Gloria Victis by Barbedienne and illustrations of the casting and finishing of the bronze see: 'Ferdinand Barbedienne': Theodore Child; Harper's new monthly magazine, Volume 73, Issue 436, September 1886. ‘Contemporary French Sculptors’: The Century, Volume 33, Issue 3, Jan 1887. ‘Modern French Sculpture’: Harper's new monthly magazine, Volume 76, Issue 452, January 1888. S, Lami, ‘Dictionnaire des sculpteurs de l'Ecole française au dix-neuvième siècle’, Tome III. G.-M., Paris, 1914, p. 432. Peter Fusco and H.W. Janson, The Romantics to Rodin: French Nineteenth Century Sculpture from North...

Sculpture Zebra Silver Skull with structure in resin hand-painted with silvered and black paint, on solid blackened iron base. Base: 25x25cm. Exceptional and unique piece.

Antique decorative bunch of grapes, the grapes are made of white/pink quartz. The iron wires are covered with green silk. The leaves are beautifully cu...

This is a very special piece indeed! c1829's French Restoration Period Automaton in Gilt & Patinated Bronze. Moving water flow from main structure into a Baccarat Crystal Basin. So t...

Seduction, elegant sculpture in Art Deco style of a nude lady with gazelle by Pierre Le Faguays for Max Le Verrier, signed Fayal and with foundry seal. Art metal with dark green pat...

A French 19th century Silvered Bronze Group of "The Falconer", Signed P.J. Mene. This silvered bronze depicts an Arab falconer on horseback, signed P.J. M...

Beautifull Lalique Crystal Female Figurative Sculpture A French Lalique crystal female figurative sculpture piece, circa 1970's, France. A nude crystal female figure sculpture on bl...

French Victorian bronze doré figure of peacock sculpture signed (LeSoudier).

Guitar Butterflies AC DC made of a real Gibson SG black guitar staging with real butterflies from farms, cites are provided for the butterflies. Art work und...

Sculpture women earth in bronze, foundry: technique de la cire perdue. Made in France by Marie-Frédérique Bey. Weight: 60kg. Limited edition of 3 p...

Spectacular French 19th century bronze statue of Diana the Huntress, signed by HOUDON. This wonderful statue is raised by a circular moulded bronze base. The nude Diana is absolutely...

Amazing quality and aesthetically beautiful six-arm chandelier During the Universal Exhibition in 1889 in Paris people were very much impressed with all that was displayed in the Ch...

"Byzantine" sculpture by Erté made with cold-painted bronze depicting a byzantine lady with traditional clothing/accessories. Signed and dated (1987)...

This article features a striking statue by René Buthaud, a prominent French sculptor known for his mastery of form and material. Signed and measuring 70 cm in length, this piece exem...

An important and high quality true pair of French 19th century Louis XVI st. patinated Bronze, Ormolu and marble statues, signed Carrier Belleuse. Each exceptional statues is support...

Head of a crowned Virgin Île-de-France, first half of 14th century. H26 x 14 x 14 cm Provenance : - Private Collection, Paris France (1960) - Private Collection Tuscany, Italy (19...

Sculpture “La Frileuse” by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (1827-1875). It is made of gilded bronze supported on a red marble base. Signed JB Carpeaux, P B, Susse Frères, Editeuns Paris, Suss...

Silvered bronze bookends sculptures of a Mermaid and Merman, France, 1900. This enchanting bronze sculpture is the object of many sailors dreams. Silvered bronze sculptures of a mer...

Impressive Art Deco bronze sculpture of a reclining nude playing with two goats. Signed by the French artist Georges Gori, with foundry mark La Pointe, l...

A youth effigy in bronze with black patina. Paris, late 1920s. By Alexandre Wolkowyski, Russian sculptor, 1883-1961. Signed at the back. Mounted on ...

Bronze sculpture entitled "Reconnaissance" by French sculptor Eugene Marioton, circa 1940s. The sculpture stands on an octagonal marble slab, is in very good condition and maintains ...

This is a superb, attributed Adrien Gaudez sculpture titled " Acteon" which in Greek is Actaeon the mythical Theban hero showing him poised to throw a spear at prey. The definition ...

A large metal sculpture of a Native American man riding a galloping horse. Entitled "Indien au Lasso" by Antoine Bofill (1875-1939) a Spanish sculptor who lived and worked in Paris. ...

A 19th century French very well cast Allegorical Bronze of Music and Poetry After Guillaume Coustou II.

After Antoine-Louis Barye (French 1796 - 1875), Cougar Attack, Recast Bronze Figural Group On Marble Plinth. Ever seen a piece of art that instantly transports you to another time an...

An antique Art Nouveau sculpture offers gilt plaster depicting portrait bust of a woman on plinth, unsigned, c1910 Measures: 23.5" H x 11" W ...

Superb, large and exquisitely detailed Carrara marble sculpture of a cherub riding a dolphin by Hippolyte Ferrat, France 19th century, Romantic period. Signed. In very good condition. On a veined marble base which has small signs of use. Dimensions in cm ( H x L x l ) : 38 x 55 x 25 On April 8, 1841, Hippolyte Ferrat was admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied under James Pradier. He was awarded the Second Prix de Rome in 1850. He exhibited at the Salon from 1849 to 1870. In 1849, he designed The Fall of Icarus, which is now exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 1859, Hippolyte Ferrat created a statue of politician François Denis Tronchet for the Conseil d'État. In 1860, a monumental fountain by Théophile de Tournadre6 was built in the center of the Place de la Rotonde in Aix-en-Provence. Of the three statues at the top, Ferrat created the allegory of the Beaux-Arts. In 1863, he created four caryatids representing the four continents...

Barbizet French Palissy Majolica wall platter which features fish (including a pike), a snake, a lizard, a frog, a turtle, insects, shellfish blackberries and leaves. Colouration: bl...

A striking and most impressive French 19th century Louis XVI st. patinated bronze and Rouge Griotte marble statue of a bull signed R. Durquet. The statue is raised by a rectangular R...

A truly stunning pair of 17th century Wall Brackets from the Provence region of France. Expertly carved with Putti heads having wonderful expressions. Excellent patina.

Emile-Andre Boisseau (1842-1923) French patinated bronze figural group: Le Crepuscule. Mounted on marble base. Signed 'Boisseau.' and with foundry cachet 'THIEBAUT FRERES' Emile Andr...

Early 20th century folk art model 'EST-CE UN PIETON OU UNE VOITURE?' (IS IT A PEDESTRIAN OR A CAR?) An Early 20th century French hand carved folk art model, depicting a police...

19th century a pretty woman sat on the back of an eagle with a marble base, signed C. Buhot, Measures: 21.5 x 10 inches.

A pair of heavy patinated bronze sculpture candelabra, France, mid-19th century. Two female sculptures holding a candleholder raised on a b...

This sculpture in fine white P marble, black Belgian marble and rock crystal is a tribute to the famous car manufacturer Lamborghini, specifically the Aventador LP700-4. The Lamborghini Aventador is a mid-engine sportscar produced by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini launched on February 28th, 2011, at the Geneva Motor Show five months after its initial unveiling in Sant’Agat Bolognese. The first model, the Aventador LP 700-4, was designed by Filippo Perini. It was inspired by Lamborghini's limited-edition Reventón and the Estoque concept car and is the successor to the Murciélago. Among the design features were its signature scissor doors...

Amazing, Rene Lalique Opalescent glass 'wood Nymph' Statuette. France 1960. Creating a perfect moment for your space is an easy accomplishment with this fi...

Bronze statue on marble base in art deco style. Copy of a dancer sculpture by D.H.Chiparus.

Fix-Masseau set up his workshop in Paris where he attracted the admiration of Rodin. The latter was unable to convince him to join his studio. The quality of his sculptures was notic...

Very large spelter Orientalist sculpture attributed to Hottot French, Late 19th Century Height 194cm, width 84cm, depth 75cm This sensational life-size figural group depicts a femal...

Walking stick: silver knob milord shape handle, depicting six soldiers, representing six European states involved in the First World War conflict. Ebony m...

Mesmerizing bronze sculpture from the late 19th century of a mythical faun creature playing a flute by Claude Michel Clodion. This character gracefully rests on an elegant marble pl...

A big sculpture in white Carrara marble, late 19th century or early 20th century, Napoleon III. A big sculpture in white Carrara mar...

Art Deco bronze sculpture of 3 athletes, Allegory of speed by Robert Delandre. La Vitesse. Patinated bronze on a Belgian Black marble base. With foun...

Patinated bronze after Pierre Tourgueneff (1853-1912) depicting a medieval French free archer. 39 by 23.5 by 9.75 inches. With copper-brown patina and mounted on an oval marble pe...

MARCEL DEBUT French, 1865-1933 French Orientalist Model of a Tunisian Young Man Carrying Water Polychromed and patinated bronze signed "Debut", sealed with editeur cachet "Bronze ...

Decorative panel, or bas-relief, carved, representing a character, in celadon-colored lacquer, in its blond oak frame. Work of a contemporary French artist. Dimensions: H 150 x W 1...

Exceptional polychrome glazed ceramic totem pole by Marcel Giraud, Vallauris Rare, large ceramic piece by Vallauris artist Marcel Giraud. The totem...

French White Metal Sculpture of Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom Offered for sale is a French white metal (spelter) sculpture of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, strategic ...

Monumental Egyptian revival plaster on fiberglass sculptures Offered for sale is an impressive pair of monumentally sized sculptures created in France in the Egyptian Revival style....

Rare French Art Deco bronze & oak crucifix from the Sainte-Claire de Mur de Barrez monastery (Poor Clares, read below), France, 1920s. Close to the work of Ateliers de Marolles. Heig...

"Chanel Barrel (2019)" by Marc Boffin, numbered 33 of a limited edition of 100, is a striking testament to the fusion of art and fashion. This unique piece...