Ferdinand Barbedienne

FERDINAND BARBEDIENNE (L'Oudon, France, 1810-Paris, 1892).
Pair of Louis XVI style urns.
Marble "verde antico"; gilded bronze.
Signed.
Measurements: 45 x 21 x 19 cm.

Elegant pair of 19th century French urns, conceived in the refined neoclassical style of the Louis XVI period and made in "verde antico" marble of exceptional veining and mounted with rich gilded bronze applications. Each piece rises on a square marble base, topped with a lower crown of berries; the tank has fine foliate motifs and moldings that rise to the shoulders, integrating decorative elements that evoke the classical tradition, such as "putti" and garlands. The upper finials, with removable lids, are decorated with bunches of grapes and acanthus leaves.

Ferdinand Barbedienne was an outstanding French cabinetmaker and bronze artist, a reference of the Second Empire style. He collaborated with renowned sculptors, including Antoine-Louis Barye, and in 1839 he partnered with Achille Collas to found a bronze factory in Paris that eventually had three hundred workers.

His workshop produced, in addition to bronze sculptures, furniture and silver objects in an eclectic style ranging from neo-Renaissance to neo-Louis XVI. In 1850 he was commissioned to furnish the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, and a year later he presented an ebony and bronze bookcase inspired by models by Ghiberti and Michelangelo at the Great Exhibition in London. He also participated in the Universal Exhibition of 1862 with a bronze vase with championed enamels, now in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

During the 1880s, his production reflected a growing oriental influence, mainly Chinese and Japanese. Recognized for his contribution to the decorative arts, he was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1863 (knight), rising to officer in 1867 and commander in 1874.