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Small Louis XV cartel clock in finely chiseled gilt bronze, decorated with a reclining cherub at the top, body and base decorated with foliate motifs, sides decorated with a trellis of flowers, enamelled dial with Roman numerals signed F. Barbedienne* in Paris, Napoleon III period, 19th century.
This clock is in good condition. It has been fully serviced and works perfectly. We have its key and pendulum.
Please note: some tiny bumps, light soiling, scratches and wear and tear, see photos.
was a French industrialist. He is primarily known for his bronze foundry for reproducing art. The son of a modest Norman farmer, he made his first fortune in wallpaper before partnering in 1838 with the mechanic Achille Collas (1795-1859), who had just invented a process for reproducing art objects in bronze on a smaller scale. In 1839, Barbedienne founded the firm where he had most of the statues in European museums reproduced in bronze, reduced enough 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 on 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 models of bronze furniture, enamels, cloisonné, high and low reliefs in wood, etc. Through the publishing contracts he offered them, he contributed to their success by disseminating 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 chasing and the patina, specific to the Barbedienne style, meant that the founder's signature gradually gained in importance. Thanks in particular to Ferdinand Barbedienne, the relationship between sculptor and founder became analogous to the relationship between composer and performer for music. Ferdinand Barbedienne is buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
