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Napoleon III Sculptures

NAPOLEON III STYLE

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Napoleon III
Bronze Sculpture Femme Aux Colombes by Charles-Alphonse Gumery
Located in Paris, FR
Bronze sculpture with brown patina by Charles-Alphonse Gumery, featuring a smiling young woman with doves. This bronze statuette is signed: Gumery ROME. Charles Gumery most probably ...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

French Bronze Sculpture of "Hound on the Scent" Signed J. Moigniez
Located in Pembroke, MA
French patinated bronze sculpture of a hound on the scent, mounted on a black marble base, and signed "J. Moigniez" (by the 19th century well-known sculptor, Jules Moigniez (1835-1894).
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of French 1860s Napoleon III Terracotta Architectural Fragments with Fruits
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French second Empire terracotta architectural fragments from the mid-19th century with fruit motifs. We currently have two pairs available, priced and sold per pair. Born i...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Terracotta

Bronze Figure of Young Psyche by Paul Duboy
Located in Paris, FR
This brown and gold patinated bronze figure was crafted by the French sculptor Paul Duboy. It features a little girl, psyche, standing on a naturalistic base. The bronze sculpture is set upon a round marble plinth...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Pair of Plaster Slaves with Bronze Patina, Many Losses and Flaws
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Pair of plaster slaves with bronze patina. Many losses and flaws. Measures: Height 49 cm and 45 cm.  
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Small 19th Century Bronze Figure of Allegory of Manufacture
Located in Berlin, DE
Small 19th century patinated female bronze figure of the allegory of manufacture featuring a spindle, a hammer and a gear-wheel. The female figure holding up her light tunic and look...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Italian Carved Marble Figure of a Young Girl by Caroni
By Emanuele Caroni
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A lovely 19th century carved Carrara marble figure of a young girl waving her right hand as a dove rests on her dress, she is standing aside a basket with a ball of string and a gar...
Category

19th Century Italian Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Carrara Marble

Incredible Carved Marble Figure of Reclining Nude
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A carved marble figure of a reclining nude, 19th century Measures: Height 16 1/4", Width 25", Depth 11".
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Ernestine Sirine-Real "Bust of a Man", Signed Plaster
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ernestine Sirine-Real (1899-1994) "Bust of a man". Signed and dated 44, plaster.
Category

1930s French Vintage Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Ernestine Sirine-Real "Bust of a Woman", Unsigned Plaster
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ernestine Sirine-Real (1899-1994) "Bust of a woman". Unsigned plaster. Measures: H. 61cm.
Category

1930s French Vintage Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Pair of Victorian Bronze Louis XVI & Le Titien Busts
By Barthélémy-François Chardigny 1
Located in New York, NY
Pair of French Victorian patinated bronze busts of Louis XVI and le Titien each on a square rouge marble base (signed: Chardigny/1858)
Category

1850s French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Carved Marble Figure of Napoleon Bonaparte with hand in waste coat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A white carved marble figure of Napoleon Bonaparte standing with one hand in his jacket, raised on a gilt bronze mounted white marble pedestal. Overall height: 75" Sculpture height...
Category

Early 20th Century Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble

Large 19th Century French Bronze "Prince Hamlet & the Gravedigger, Shakespeare"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Monumental 19th Century French Bronze Depicting Prince Hamlet & the Gravedigger, from Act V, scene i. of shakespeare's tragedy. Cast by Victor Thiebaut, Paris. Signed on base: Par Vor Thiebaut 1865. and Costa de B. Height: 51" (129.5 cm) Width: 33" (83.8 cm) Depth: 23" 58.4 cm) Victor Adolphe Thiébaut , born in 1828 and died in 1888 was one of the most illustrious founders of French art. He was the creator of the Art Foundry Thiebaut Brothers ,one of the largest and most prestigious art foundries in France during the 19th and 20th centuries. His achievements are visible throughout the world and especially in Paris. In 1849, after being associated with him, his father Charles Antoine Floréal left him the reins of the family foundry " Thiébaut & Fils ", a company manufacturing loops and medals, cylinders for printing canvas and paper, machine parts steam and other industrial objects made of bronze and copper. Two years later, in 1851, Victor Thiébaut decided to start a new activity of art foundry. He created the "Thiébaut Frères Art Foundry". It is from this time that the house will experience great prosperity and international artistic renown. Victor Thiébaut was a perfectionist. He believed that the perfection of cast iron was the main point of making a work. This way of thinking earned him the trust, the friendship and the advice of the sculptors of the time. The first works of Victor Thiébaut are exhibited throughout Europe. The London Exhibition in 1862 gave him the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor . That same year, he was elected mayor of the 10th arrondissement of Paris . Over the years, the fame of the Thiébaut Frères Art Foundry enabled the company to produce more and more important works in collaboration with prestigious artists. In 1860, Victor Thiébaut realized his first Parisian work: the fonts of "Agriculture" and the "Work" of Gumery. These works are visible on one of the fountains of the square-Émile Chautemps. In 1861, he produced a monumental work for the city of Paris: the bronze group "Saint Michael slaying the devil" by Duret, installed on the fountain Saint Michel. In 1863, another monumental work installed in the heart of the capital. Victor Thiebaut performs the statue of Napoleon I er , installed at the top of the Vendôme column . The statue was shot down in 1871 and repaired in 1875 by the Thiébaut Frères Art Foundry. Between 1864 and 1899, Victor Thiébaut realized many monumental works, still today, throughout the capital, including " The Triumph of the Republic ", place de la Nation , the "monument to Joan of Arc", place the Pyramids , the "Lioness of the Sahara", the Louvre palace , many works present in the Luxembourg gardens , the Tuileries gardens , the Jardin des Plantes , and in many other places. In 1878, the "Thiébaut Frères Art Foundry" cast the work " Charlemagne and its Leudes ", installed on parvis Notre-Dame . Victor Thiébaut died in 1888, leaving his sons Victor and Jules with orders for the family business. Until his last days, Victor Thiébaut worked on two monumental orders that will be completed and installed after his death. One of the most visible works made by the "Fonderie Thiébaut Frères" was undoubtedly the replica of the "Statue of Liberty", installed on the bridge of Grenelle ( Swan...
Category

1860s French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Sculpture of Napoleon in Alabaster, Early 20th Century.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Sculpture of Napoleon in alabaster, Early 20th century. Statue, alabaster sculpture of Napoleon, early 20th century.     h: 65cm , w: 21cm, d: 18cm
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Alabaster

" The Sphinx " French Sculpture 19th Century in Gilded Plaster
Located in Madrid, ES
" The Sphinx " French Sculpture 19th Century in Gilded Plaster Napoleon III Gilded plaster Height 36 cm. Length 10. Depth 20 cm. good condition
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Plaster

Bronze Sculpture David Winner by Antonin Mercié
Located in TOULOUSE, FR
Bronze with beautiful brown patina representing King David victorious over Goliath. It rests on a circular base, decorated with oriental motifs. Signed hollow on the base: "A. Merc...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Marble and gilt bronze clock surmounted by a statuary white marble sculpture
By Pierre Campagne
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This clock presents a reduced reproduction in statuary white marble of "Phryne before its judges" of Pierre Campagne placed on a base in peach flower marble and gilded bronze. The painted enamel dial, underlined by a torus of laurel leaves is presented on a peach flower marble base set...
Category

Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Equestrian Bronze, Thoroughbred Racehorse by J. Moigniez
Located in Doylestown, PA
A late 19th century equestrian bronze of thoroughbred racehorse with saddle by Jules Moigniez (1835-1894) signed "J. MOIGNIEZ" on the bronze base and...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

An Exquisite and Rare French Louis XVI Style Ormolu-Mounted Bloodstone Inkwell
Located in New York, NY
An Exquisite and Rare French Louis XVI Style Ormolu-Mounted Bloodstone Inkwell, circa 1875. A truly exceptional and jewel like quality inkwell encrier, made with the finest ormolu, mounted on bloodstone. A true collectors and one of a kind piece. Revival of the ancient régime in the late 19th century was paramount to the French furniture and bronze casting firms of the Belle Epoque. Imitation in the highest regard and replication of those tastes and styles was prevalent throughout the Paris Faubourg, where the most talented bronziers and ébénistes established their workshops. The present inkwell encrier recalls the late 18th century's obsession with hardstones - a taste expounded above all by the duc d'Aumont and, subsequently Marie-Antoinette. Such hardstone-mounted pieces, reminiscent of Renaissance schatzkammer objects, enjoyed a revived popularity at the end of the 18th century through the impetus of both the marchands-mercier and, more importantly, the hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the duc d'Aumont himself established a workshop in 1770 specializing in the cutting and polishing of precious hardstones. This exceptional inkwell encrier, sumptuously-mounted with finely chased gilt-bronzes, incorporates a highly-prized material such as bloodstone. Sometimes called the Sunstone, the meaning of Bloodstone comes entangled in fascinating history. The Ancient Greeks held the Bloodstone as a gem with glorious powers. They referred to it as Heliotrope, which directly translates to Sunstone. It was believed to have heavenly healing powers gifted by the gods and most certainly when it came to healing all things related to the blood. Even as we move forward into the Middle Ages, the Bloodstone takes another mystical story under its wing. It was believed to be formed from Christ's blood. It was said that during the Crucifixion, a few red spots of his blood dripped...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

Late 19th Century Paris Porcelain Standing Statue of Napoleon Bonaparte
Located in San Francisco, CA
Late 19th century Paris porcelain standing statue of Napoleon Bonaparte, circa 1880. White porcelain with gilt decoration. Contrasting bisque face wi...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Porcelain

19th Century Pair of Monumental Neoclassical Obelisks Jasper Marble Gild Bronze
Located in PALERMO, IT
Rare pair of large obelisks entirely veneered in Sicilian open scrub jasper. Gilt bronze applications adorn the all-round obelisks. In the upper part two...
Category

Late 19th Century Sicilian Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Palatial & Rare Napoleon III French Ormolu and Patinated Bronze Clock, Detouche
Located in New York, NY
A palatial, extremely rare, and important Napoleon III French ormolu and patinated bronze regulateur de parquet clock, by Louis-Constantin Detouche, Paris, circa 1850. The clock case made form the finest French ormolu, with 2 very large patinated bronze seated putti The white enamel dial Signed C. DETOUCHE/ PARIS. The clock movement is numbered 7064 and stamped with maker’s stamps C. Detouche RUE st. MARTIN and C. DETOUCHE 158 R. St MARTIN 160, with medaille d’argent stamp, on a serpentine part ebonized mahogany plinth. At over six feet tall, the present clock is impressive in scale and rare in Detouche’s oeuvre. While other large clocks were produced by the firm, few of this scale are so overtly decorative and usually incorporate greater mechanical complication. For example, a gilt bronze astronomical regulator clock...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Bronze, Ormolu

French Zinc Building Finial
Located in Sheffield, MA
Antique zinc finial has small scallops around the bottom with holes for nails or screws when it was once attached to a building. Great as garden e...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Zinc

19th Century Majolica Bust of a Woman
Located in High Point, NC
19th century French Majolica bust in the figure of a woman. Lovely detail in sculpture, glaze is vibrant, some glaze drips. Great molding detail. Slight nibbles around base of statue...
Category

19th Century French Antique Napoleon III Sculptures

Materials

Majolica, Pottery

Napoleon Iii sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Napoleon III sculptures for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage sculptures created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, building and garden elements, lighting and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, bronze and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Napoleon III sculptures made in a specific country, there are Europe, France, and Italy pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original sculptures, popular names associated with this style include Pierre Jules Mêne, Mathurin Moreau, Jules Moigniez, and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for sculptures differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $488 and tops out at $2,500,000 while the average work can sell for $4,001.

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