Important Pair of Neo-Greek Vases by Levillain and Barbedienne, France, C. 1878
About the Item
- Creator:Ferdinand Levillain (Sculptor),Ferdinand Barbedienne (Metalworker)
- Dimensions:Height: 57.49 in (146 cm)Width: 20.08 in (51 cm)Depth: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Greek Revival (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1878
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:PARIS, FR
- Reference Number:
Ferdinand Barbedienne
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.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: PARIS, France
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- 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
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- Pair of Neo-Greek Amphora Vases by Barbedienne and Levillain, France, circa 1880By Ferdinand Barbedienne, Ferdinand LevillainLocated 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
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- 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
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- Pair of Neo-Greek Vase-Candlesticks Attr. to Barbedienne and Levillain, c. 1880By Ferdinand Barbedienne, Ferdinand LevillainLocated in PARIS, FRPair of Greek style amphora shaped candlesticks made of gilded and patinated bronze attributed to F. Levillain and F. Barbedienne. Each flanked with two handles, and decorated with horsemen in relief. Standing on three lion’s feet headed with busts of putti and raised on a red griotte marble base. 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 1880s French Greek Revival Table Lamps
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- Pair of Neo-Greek Andirons by F. Barbedienne, France, Circa 1870By Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in PARIS, FRMeasures: Height : 47 cm (18,5 in.) ; Width : 70 up to 96 cm (27,5 – 37,8 in.) ; Depth : 6 cm (2,3 in.) A rare pair of square shaped andirons, made in gilded bronze and polychrome...Category
Antique 1870s French Greek Revival Fireplace Tools and Chimney Pots
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- Pair of Neo-Greek Bronze Floor Lamps by F. Barbedienne, France, circa 1860By Ferdinand BarbedienneLocated in PARIS, FRHeight without/with lampshade : 168/185 cm (66,1 / 72,8 in.) ; Base : 43 x 43 cm (16,9 x 16,9 in.) Beautiful pair of neo-Greek floor lamps in bronze with double patina, composed of cylindrical lamps, decorated on the body with a rotating frieze representing women dressed in the Antique style weaving and spinning, surmounted by lampshades with cut sides in red pleated silk with golden braid. They are placed on pedestals from which hang thin chains attached to the slender shaft decorated with stylized leaves and flowers, resting on a tripod base decorated with large palmettes and ending in lion’s paws. The stylistic repertoire used here, composed in particular of palmettes, masks, and nymphs, evokes Greek Antiquity, as does the reuse of forms of furniture and objects such as tripods and antique vases. The rediscovery in the 18th century of the archaeological remains of Pompeii and Herculaneum allowed artists of all disciplines to draw inspiration from Antiquity while reinterpreting it. This trend did not fade and, in the 19th century, many personalities fitted out their interiors with neo-Greek furniture, as was the case for the Maison Pompéienne built in 1856 by the architect Alfred Normand (1822-1909) for Prince Napoleon, or Empress Eugénie who bought from the Maison Barbedienne pedestals inspired by antique tripods. Related work : Pedestal model presented by Maison Barbedienne at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855. On this occasion, Empress Eugénie bought it for her bathroom in the Château de Saint-Cloud. This model pleased the Empress so much that she ordered two other pairs in 1858 for her boudoir in the palaces of Compiègne and Fontainebleau. (see photo attached) Photo showing a floor lamp similar to ours in Empress Eugénie’s bedroom in the Château de Compiègne (Oise), in Architecture intérieure et Décoration en France des...Category
Antique 1860s French Greek Revival Floor Lamps
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Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Vases
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