Ref. 1179

F. Barbedienne

Bronze-caster
(1810-1892)
(attributed to)

Beautiful Ottoman style chandelier

France
Circa 1870

Height : 100 cm (39,4 in.) ; Diameter : 55 cm (21,7 in.)

Beautiful oriental style six light arms chandelier, made in patinated and gilded bronze. With a very fine decoration of arabesques, cords and valances imitating the trimmings.

Biography

Born in 1810, died in Paris in 1892, Ferdinand Barbedienne, the most important caster of bronze pieces of art during the second half of the 19th Century, created and directed in Paris one of the principle artistic foundries of his day. Their illustrated catalogues included many diverse objects such as busts, ornemental sculpture (clocks, candelabras, cups) sometimes even life-sized and also bronzes for furniture. Apart from his own production, Barbedienne worked for the most renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Clésinger and Carrier-Belleuse. All his works were highly esteemed and he, himself honored by contemporary critics. s. Barbedienne was made an officer of the Légion d’Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with « a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting ». His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.