F. Levillain (1837-1905), F. Barbedienne, Foundry, pair Large Neo-Greek Amphora
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F. Levillain (1837-1905), F. Barbedienne, Foundry, pair Large Neo-Greek Amphora
About the Item
- Creator:Ferdinand Levillain (Artist),F. Barbedienne Foundry (Sculptor)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.81 in (63 cm)Width: 11.03 in (28 cm)Depth: 11.03 in (28 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1871
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Heukelum, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4035315533921
F. Barbedienne Foundry
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 awards. 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 Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and collectibles.
Ferdinand Levillain
Ferdinand Levillain had his debut at the Paris Salon in 1861 and won recognition through the 1860s and 1870s for his work with the highly respected Barbedienne. In 1878, he ceased his collaboration with Barbedienne and triumphed alone at the Exposition Universelle, where he won the gold medal for his work referencing Antiquity. In 1884, Levillain was awarded a first-class medal at the Salon and in 1889, a silver medal at the Exposition Universelle. In 1892, he was recognized with the highly prestigious Légion d'Honneur. Examples of his work are displayed in many museums, including the Musée de Lyon and the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. Levillain also collaborated with the Sèvres manufactory and won several medals, which are still visible today at the Louvre Museum and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Angers.
- Pair of Neo-Greek Amphora Vases by Barbedienne and Levillain, France, circa 1880By Ferdinand Levillain, Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in PARIS, FRPair 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...Category
Antique 1880s French Greek Revival Vases
MaterialsGriotte Marble, Bronze
$4,988 Sale Price / set30% Off - Large Neo-Greek Vase by F. Levillain & F. Barbedienne, France, circa 1890By Ferdinand Barbedienne, Ferdinand LevillainLocated in PARIS, FRImportant neo-Greek vase in the shape of an Amphora, made in two patina bronze. The body is decorated with a rich continuous frieze in bas-relief presenting a procession of characters carrying their offerings to the temple, underlined by a decoration of theatrical masks among olive trees. The 's'-scroll handles decorated with grape vines, resting only on the shoulder of the vase, are supported by a ram’s head. Numerous palmettes and friezes adorn the whole. Resting on a molded marble circular base. Biography Ferdinand Levillain (Paris, 1837-1905) studied under the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), before making his debut in 1861 at the French Artists Salon where he continued to exhibit until 1903. At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris, he was praised for a Neo-Greek style bronze cup he made for the firm Blot and Drouard. He was not to become really famous, however, until 1871 thanks to his association with the great bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne, who began to exhibit Neo-Greek style lamps...Category
Antique 1890s French Greek Revival Vases
MaterialsMarble, Bronze
- Fine Pair of Neo-Greek Vases by F. Levillain and F. Barbedienne, France, c. 1890By Ferdinand Levillain, Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in PARIS, FRSigned F. Levillain sculpteur and F. Barbedienne. Pair of Greek style vases made of two patina bronze. Each, designed in the shape of a amphora resting on four hoof feet and a quadrilobed base, is decorated in low-relief with ancient times scenes of grape harvest and picking hops. Overleaf vases, profiles of gods Ariadne and Bacchus are ornated with grape vines and cornucopias. The handles are supported by two bearded heads of gods. Here is the model titled Amphore vendangeurs, modèle n°1 (68 cm), edited by Barbedienne after 1891. We find it in the catalogs until 1911. The figure of Bacchus is a subject dear to Ferdinand Levillain, which he exhibited bronze medallions in his first exposition as well as Universal Exhibitions in which he participated. Ferdinand Levillain (Paris, 1837-1905) studied under the sculptor Jouffroy (1806-1882), before making his debut in 1861 at the French Artists Salon where he continued to exhibit until 1903. At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris, he was praised for a Neo-Greek style bronze cup he made for the firm Blot and Drouard. He was not to become really famous, however, until 1871 thanks to his association with the great bronze founder Ferdinand Barbedienne, who began to exhibit Neo-Greek style lamps...Category
Antique 1890s French Greek Revival Vases
MaterialsBronze
$14,032 Sale Price / set60% Off - Important Pair of Neo-Greek Vases by Levillain and Barbedienne, France, C. 1878By Ferdinand Levillain, Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in PARIS, FRThe model of these Etruscan Amphoras has been exposed at the 1878 Paris Universal Exhibition. Each with a waisted neck raised with bearded satyr ma...Category
Antique 1870s French Greek Revival Vases
MaterialsMarble, Bronze
- Neo-Grec Bronze and Patinated Bronze Tazza by F. Levillain, Cast by BarbedienneBy Ferdinand LevillainLocated in Knivsta, SEA beautiful Neo-Grec Tazza in bronze and patinated bronze, signed by the artist Ferdinand Levillain ( 1837-1905) and cast by the famous Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892). France 1...Category
Antique 1860s French Centerpieces
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- Pair of ‘Neo-Grec’ Style Multipatinated Bronze Amphora VasesBy Ferdinand Levillain, Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in Brighton, West SussexA Large And Rare Pair of ‘Neo-Grec’ Style Multipatinated Bronze Amphora Vases by Ferdinand Levillain and Ferdinand Barbedienne. Signed to the cast ‘F. Levillain Fecit 1880’ and ‘F. Barbedienne’. This large pair of multipatinated vases are of amphora form modelled in the ‘Neo-Grec’ style with trumpet shaped necks and scrolling handles terminating in masks; the vases are raised on circular spreading bases put down on plinths. Each vase is finely ornamented with laurel leaves and garlands to the neck, the main body with a superb banded frieze cast in low relief depicting the Centauromachy. In the Centauromachy, the Lapiths battle with the Centaurs at the wedding feast of Pirithous. An enduring classical theme linked with the idea of culture versus nature, the Centauromachy was widely depicted in ancient Greece from the Southern Metopes of the Parthenon Freieze to the Temple of Apollo Epikourious at Bassai, it also appears as a subject on numerous Attic vases such as the Ilioupersis krater. A popular theme for artists from the Renaissance onwards it was depicted by amongst others, Michelangelo, Piero di Cosimo, Luca Signorelli, Sebastiano Ricci...Category
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Vases
MaterialsMarble, Bronze
