Michel Claude dit CLODION (1738-1814) (D'après), Pair of cha - Lot 219

Michel Claude dit CLODION (1738-1814) (D'après), Pair of chased bronze tritone vases decorated with scenes depicting the sacrifice of vestal virgins. The neck is flared and the handles are decorated with horned tritons. It stands on a fluted pedestal embellished with a laurel garland on an octagonal Griotte base. Signed F. Barbedienne on the pedestal. Paris. Early 19th century. Height : 38 cm. Small chip on one base. Claude Michel, known as CLODION, was a French sculptor who lived from 1738 in Nancy to 1814 in Paris. In 1776, Clodion created the pair of sacrificial vases in Carrara marble now in the collections of the ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. On September 1, 1759, Clodion won first prize for sculpture with a bas-relief depicting Absalon, who had his brother Amnon killed at the now-defunct feast, and became a boarder at the Royal School for Protected Pupils from December 1759. On August 6, 1762, he received his brevet for the Académie de France in Rome. Clodion distinguished himself by his charm and elegance, both as a modeler and as a marble cutter. Between 1773 and 1774, he travelled to Rome for the second time, where he produced delicate terracotta bas-reliefs. His career took off after the accession of Louis XVI in 1774. Indeed, Clodion established himself in the world of wealthy amateurs building private mansions in the new districts of Paris. In 1778, Clodion received his first royal commission for a portrait of Montesquieu seated, part of the "Great Men of France" series planned to adorn the Grande Galerie of the Louvre. Ferdinand BARBEDIENNE born August 6, 1810, died March 21, 1892, was a French industrialist, known for his foundry of art bronzes. He joined forces with Achille Collas in 1838, founding the Société A. Collas & Barbedienne, for the production and marketing of sculptures. They reproduced in bronze a large number of sculptural works held in European museums, destined to adorn modern interiors. From 1855, the famous ornamentalist Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) joined the company as an ornamental sculptor. In 1859, Ferdinand Barbedienne became sole owner of the foundry, which now employed 300 people. In 1865, he became president of the Comité des industries du bronze, a position he held until 1885. The quality of Barbedienne's casting, chasing and patination meant that the founder's signature gradually gained in importance. He was promoted to the rank of Commander of the Legion of Honor on July 7, 1874. In 1878, the company presented a monumental clock in the neo-Renaissance style, decorated with enamels by Alfred Serre, at the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris, winning a gold medal. Expert: Stéphane Pépe