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 prizes. 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 antique Ferdinand Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and more.
19th Century Bronze Sculpture of a Lady by Moreau
By Hippolyte François Moreau
Located in London, GB
This alluring bronze depicts the full-length figure of a young lady who, swathed in draped clothing, looks downward toward a basket of flowers hung about her waist. The circular base...
Bronze
Antique Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Diana by Ferdinand Barbedienne
By Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in London, GB
Antique Patinated Bronze Sculpture of Diana by Ferdinand Barbedienne French, late 19th Century Dimensions: Height 60cm, width 22cm, depth 22cm This...
Bronze
'La Jeunesse' 19th Century bronze sculpture by Chapu and Barbedienne
By Henri Chapu, Ferdinand Barbedienne
Located in London, GB
This fine and exceptionally cast patinated bronze sculpture is the work of two masters of the decorative arts, Henri Chapu (French, 1833-1891) and Ferdinand Barbedienne (French, 1810-1892). Chapu was responsible for the design of the sculpture which is titled 'La Jeunesse' and depicts a young girl swathed in Classical style clothing reaching up to place a laurel branch on top of a wall. The original work was crafted in white marble as part of a monument to Henri Regnault...
Bronze
Zingara Antique French Bronze Figurative Sculpture Dancer Barbedienne
By Jean-Baptiste Clésinger, F. Barbedienne Foundry
Located in London, GB
Zingara Antique French Bronze Figurative Sculpture Dancer Barbedienne French, c. 1890 Height 105cm, width 33cm, depth 43cm A captivating bronze sculpture inspired by Jean-Baptiste ...
Bronze
Patinated Bronze and Parcel-Gilt Classical Sculpture by Levêque
Located in London, GB
Patinated bronze and parcel-gilt classical sculpture by Levêque French, Late 19th Century Height 60cm, width 24cm, depth 24cm This elegant neoclassical bronze sculpture is by the Fr...
Bronze
Antique French Patinated Bronze Majolica Sculpture Female Pedestal F.A. Gadaix
By Jean-Antoine Houdon
Located in London, GB
Antique French Patinated Bronze Majolica Sculpture Female Pedestal F.A. Gadaix French, c. 1900 Sculpture: Height 130cm, diameter 36cm Pedestal: Height 89cm, diameter 63cm Overall: H...
Bronze
19th Century Bronze Figure of Sappho after James Pradier (1790-1852)
Located in Berlin, DE
19th Century Bronze Figure of the Greek Poetess Sappho after James Pradier (1790-1852)/Cast by Susse Frères A 19th century bronze figure of the Greek poetess Sappho, seated on a lo...
Bronze
Louis Alfred Habert 19th Century French Bronze Figure of the Muse Terpsichore
Located in St. Louis, MO
Neoclassical bronze by Louis Alfred Habert (French, 1824-1893) late 19th century figure of the muse: Terpsichore. Classical female seated, holding a Lyre a...
Marble, Bronze
Early 19th Century Bronze Sculpture by Lequesne
By (after) Eugène-Louis Lequesne
Located in 263-0031, JP
A pensive figure, evocative to the many depictions of Sappho produced during the Romantic Era, of a seated woman by the French sculptor Eugène Louis Lequesne (1815-1887). She and her...
Marble, Bronze
Bronze Sculpture of a Seated Woman, Stamped by Barbedienne, Napoleon III.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Bronze sculpture of a seated woman, stamped by Barbedienne, 19th century, Napoleon III period. Bronze sculpture of a seated woman, 19th century, Napoleon III period, Barbedienne fou...
Bronze
F. Barbedienne Large Bronze Sculpture of Euterpe
By F. Barbedienne Foundry
Located in Wormelow, Herefordshire
A bronze sculpture of Euterpe attributed to French metalworker Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892). Embellished to the reverse with the official stamp of the Collas et Barbedienne foun...
Bronze
French 19th Century Neoclassical Style Patinated Bronze and Ormolu Statue
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A superb and high quality French 19th century Neo-Classical st. patinated bronze and ormolu statue. The statue is raised by a rectangular ormolu base with a most elegant and decorati...
Bronze, Ormolu
The elegant ceramics represent the best of French artistry and innovation.
This golden material glamorized neoclassical furnishings and transformed upper-crust sitting rooms from France to Philadelphia in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
