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Pair of gilded bronze candlesticks, tulip socket mounted on a stem on which a snake is coiled, round base with moldings, model by F. Barbedienne*, from the Napoleon III 19th century period.
These candle holders are in good condition. Traces of signatures below, not signed Barbedienne but it is one of his models.
Note: some tiny shocks and wear over time, see photos.
was a French industrialist. It is primarily known for its art reproduction bronze foundry. Son of a modest Norman farmer, he made his first fortune in wallpaper before joining forces in 1838 with the mechanic Achille Collas (1795-1859), who had just invented a process of reproduction in bronze and on a smaller scale. scale, art objects. In 1839, Barbedienne founded the house where he had most of the statues in European museums reproduced in bronze, sufficiently reduced to be able to adorn modern interiors. His idea was to democratize art, by making faithful reproductions of masterpieces accessible. The themes chosen are often allegorical, and draw heavily from the ancient repertoire. Even today, it is quite common to find bronzes signed Barbedienne in “bourgeois” homes. He applied his processes to the work of the sculptors of his time (Barye, Fremiet, Mène, etc.) and created numerous bronze models of furniture, enamels, cloisonné, high and bas-reliefs in wood, etc. Through the publishing contracts he offered them, he contributed to their success through the distribution of their works. Being childless, it was his nephew and successor, Gustave Leblanc-Barbedienne, who developed the foundry by specializing in monumental bronzes. In France, many war memorials are signed Leblanc-Barbedienne. The quality of the casting, the carving and the patina, specific to the Barbedienne manner, meant that the founder's signature gradually gained importance. Particularly thanks to Ferdinand Barbedienne, the relationship between sculptor and founder has become analogous to the relationship between the composer and the performer for music. Ferdinand Barbedienne rests in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
