The “Porte-Falot” Bronze Sculpture Signed Frémiet & Barbedienne, France, c. 1910

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The “Porte-Falot” Bronze Sculpture Signed Frémiet & Barbedienne, France, c. 1910

About the Item

Signed E. Frémiet and F. Barbedienne, Fondeur. This two patina bronze is listed as the Porte-falot (Torch-holder) model No. 1. It is two thirds lower cast of the equestrian group ordered in 1882 by the Prefecture of the Seine to serve as a lamppost at the foot of the main staircase of the City Hall of Paris, then newly reconstructed following its fire during the “Commune” in 1871. The plaster model was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1883 (Listed as No. 3652 in the Catalogue du Salon des Artistes vivants, 1883), and the bronze cast was made after 1910, the date of the acquisition of Frémiet’s masterpieces models by the Leblanc-Barbedienne company. November 19, 1880, the French State ordered Emmanuel Frémiet a lamppost with mythological motifs of mermaids or dolphins. The sculptor first refused theme imposed on it, and on August 22, 1882 the order was changed. Frémiet was then responsible for sculpting "an equestrian statue of a herald in place of the previous subject. " Emmanuel Frémiet therefore chose to represent a lantern holder, and gave it a medieval name to highlight the history of the city of Paris. The falot (lantern) is in fact a term that derives from the Old French and Latin Pharus designated here as a light or a torch, and this creates vertical dynamics often absent from traditional equestrian statues. The plaster was exhibited at the Salon of 1883, and then at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in 1883. At the Salon, George Lafenestre described as the Fremiet’s equestrian Porte-falot (fifteenth century) : "The rider, a young man with long hair, wearing a hat, wearing a leotard with a cape on his shoulders, wearing soft boots, ridding up straight, holding his right hand raised with a long lantern whose end rests on the ground. The horse, standing on his four hooves, holding his head down. He wears a crown of flowers on the right ear and a collar with bells." The work was then cast by the Thiébault bronze foundry the same year to be placed in the City Hall of Paris. The Porte-falot also distinguished itself from various female torcheres then in vogue. Frémiet renewed the torchere type on the basis of history and not the Exotism artistic movement. However, the function of the illuminating sculpture of the City Hall of Paris disappeared in the edited casts. The torch was indeed modified and lighting function disappeared. In 1889, Emmanuel Frémiet requested permission to edit his work. He was granted it on the condition that its size does not exceed the two-thirds of the original work. The Porte-falot shown here is a cast of the largest size allowed by law. The first cast had been part of the workshop of Charles More, the first bronze-caster and merchant of Frémiet, and became then after Emmanuel Frémiet’s death in 1910 the ownership of the Leblanc-Barbedienne firm, who acquired the sculptor’s business for editing. Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne then published a catalog of Emmanuel Frémiet sculptures since 1910. The Porte-falot appeared in the catalogue between the equestrian statue of Napoleon I and the Spanish Muleteer. Our bronze piece is the model No. 1 proposed with a height of 1m34 (without lantern) and a base of 83 by 29 cm. The Model 2 was an edition of the sketch from a height of 14 cm and a length of 11 cm. It was cast in gilt-bronze on a marble base. Nephew and pupil in 1842 by sculptor François Rude (1784-1855) who took part in the decoration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Emmanuel Frémiet (1824-1910) experienced a difficult start and worked at the zoological Studies and in Paris. He was remarked at the Salon of the living artists of 1843 with a plaster study La gazelle, and won a third-class medal with a Hunting dog at the Salon of 1849. The French state orders were then more numerous, such the one made in 1853 by Emperor Napoleon III for a collection of statues of various imperial troopers. Participating in the Paris Universal Exhibitions, he presented in 1855 with success Bassets dogs " Ravageot and Ravageode" and Chef Gauls at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition. Frémiet exhibited once again in Vienna in 1873. He succeeded sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye in 1875 as professor of animals drawing at the Museum of Natural History and was then out as one of the masters of animal sculpture along with Auguste Cain (1821-1894) and Alfred Jacquemart (1824-1896). At the Universal Exhibition of 1889 in Paris, Frémiet exhibited Credo, which was a resounding success with the public. At the Universal Exhibition of 1900, he finally won the “Grand Prix”. Among his masterpieces animal subject, Emmanuel Frémiet made several equestrian statues, combining a thorough naturalism for horses to academic likeness of their riders. Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1860, E. Frémiet was appointed Grand Officer in the Order in 1900. Born in 1810, Ferdinand Barbedienne started one of the most famous 19th century artistic bronze casting companies. He died in 1892. In addition to his personal production, he worked for famous artists such as Clésinger, Carrière-Belleuse and Guillemin. Barbedienne’s production was always highly esteemed and he was, himself admired by contemporary art critics who compared him during the 1878 Universal Exhibition to a « prince of industry and the king of bronze-casting ». In the catalogue of the Exhibition, Barbedienne was considered as the leader among 19th century bronze casters, because of the exquisit quality of his bronzes.

Creator:
F. Barbedienne Foundry (Metalworker),Emmanuel Fremiet (Sculptor)
Dimensions:
Height: 75.6 in (192 cm)Width: 44.1 in (112 cm)Depth: 21.26 in (54 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Gilt,Patinated
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1910-1919
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1910
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
PARIS, FR
Reference Number:
Seller: 17091stDibs: LU3860330354282