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Set of three bronze sculptures (bronze patina) representing the busts of Molière, Racine and Richelieu, signed F. Barbedienne * Founder and stamp "Mechanical reduction A. Collas", XIXth century.
These busts are in good condition. Signed see photos.
A note: slight play in the screw thread of the bust of Molière, slight defect (scratch) on the back of Racine, slight wear of time, see photos.
was a French industrialist. He is mainly known for his bronze art reproduction foundry. Son of a modest Norman farmer, he made a first fortune in wallpapers before associating in 1838 with the mechanic Achille Collas (1795-1859), who had just invented a process of reproduction in bronze and smaller. ladder, works of art. In 1839, Barbedienne founded the house where he had most of the statues in European museums reproduced in bronze, small enough to adorn modern interiors. His idea was to democratize art, by making accessible faithful reproductions of masterpieces. 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 many models of bronze furniture, enamels, cloisonné, highs and bas-reliefs in wood etc. Through the publishing contracts he offered them, he contributed to their success by distributing 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 monuments to the dead are signed Leblanc-Barbedienne. The quality of the cast, the chasing and the patina, specific to the Barbedienne way, have meant that the founder's signature has gradually gained in importance. Particularly thanks to Ferdinand Barbedienne, the relationship between sculptor and founder has become analogous to the relationship between composer and performer for music. Ferdinand Barbedienne rests in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
Ferdinand Barbedienne joined forces in 1838 with Achille Collas (1795-1859) - the inventor of the process of mechanical reduction of statues - and was able to give a considerable extension to the production of small edition bronzes. Much of its success rested on its business policy and strategy. The mechanical reduction process initially allowed their society to distribute antique reductions before they thought of soliciting models from living artists. (Extract from Proantic Magazine "Les Bronzes Barbedienne")
