About this piece
back to topA bronze sculpture of Euterpe attributed to French metalworker Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892). Embellished to the reverse with the official stamp of the Collas et Barbedienne foundry: ‘Reduction Mecanique, A. Collas Brevete’. Standing at approximately 89cm tall, this Barbedienne bronze is of larger scale than other depictions of Euterpe by the French foundry, making it a rare find.
Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892)
Ferdinand Barbedienne was an accomplished French bronze founder of the 19th century. In 1839, he partnered with Parisian engineer Achille Collas (1795-1859) who had invented a way to reproduce sculpture on a reduced scale in a process he titled ‘reduction mechanique’. Together, Barbedienne and Collas produced reduced scale versions of various famous statues and sculptures.
Dating from the mid to late 19th century, this bronze Euterpe sculpture is an excellent example from the Collas et Barbedienne foundry. Inscribed with ‘Euterpe’ to the front, it is embellished with the foundry mark usually found on Bardbedienne bronzes to the reverse showing Collas in side profile and inscribed with ‘Brevete’ meaning patented.
Euterpe was one of the nine Greek Muses, known as the Goddess of Music, Song and Dance. She leans against a decorated pedestal and holds a flute in her right hand. It is a striking sculpture for an interior, capturing the presence of the full-scale antique in beautiful detail.
Additional Information
Base: 27.5 x 15.5 cm
Blue plinth not included.
